Hi

I'm glad to get this opportunity to check in with you. How're you doing? Here are some further thoughts on a reel I posted last week.

It is possible to live with a dangerous amount of ease in our days, to design out friction and inconvenience from our physical (and emotional) lives. Perhaps we need to reintroduce some beneficial challenges, the very things that lead to strength and resilience. , If you're constantly physically busy, then this probably doesn't apply to you ;-) As you were ...

Here's a short video explaining this idea you can watch on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram. (Please like, share, subscribe ... all that good stuff)

The Problem with Convenience

The physical ramifications of convenience can be particularly problematic for those predisposed to sedentary lifestyles. As someone who works from home, I could easily spend all day behind a screen, taking only a few hundred steps. Recognizing this tendency, I've intentionally designed a low level of physical inconvenience into my days to force more movement.

Here's an excerpt from Day Crafting: The Self-care Workbook

You may have heard of blue zones, where older people live longer with fewer aches and pains. The evidence suggests that their lifestyles are such that they have to move much more regularly. Their days are full of NEAT, which stands for Non–Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This means a lot more movement, more frequently throughout the day. It isn’t that citizens of blue zones are more fidgety or are choosing to move; it is that their lifestyles, culture and system design demand it.

Our self-care needs exercise but one or a few exercise sessions a week don’t make up for all the time a lot of us spend sitting down or are otherwise inactive. NEAT is all the rest of our physical activity other than exercise.

Practical Ways to Increase NEAT

Implementing NEAT doesn't have to be complicated:

• Park farther away to walk more
• Shop for groceries more frequently, buying less each trip
• Cook from scratch, moving around as you prepare meals
• Use a sit-stand desk

The challenge isn't identifying ways to move more – it's redesigning our systems, habits, and environments to make movement the default.

Suppose your autonomous default, in the present, is to take the easiest, physical (and emotional) challenge-free option (which is the case for our evolutionary hunter-gatherer systems). How can you redesign your days ahead of time to put more challenge and friction in your way? It is a tough challenge in a culture that prizes speed and simplicity; the ability to embrace difficulty willingly is a peculiar trait. Think of it as "inconvenience literacy" – the capacity to recognise, appreciate, and leverage beneficial friction in your day.

Be kind to future you. 

Crafting today also shapes our tomorrow. By intentionally designing beneficial inconveniences into our routines, we're not just improving our current health – we're investing in our future. It is compound interest for your wellbeing. The goal isn't to make life needlessly difficult but to reintroduce the regular, low-intensity efforts that our bodies and minds thrive on.

Add years to your life. Add life to your years.

What are your thoughts on designing inconvenience into your life? I'd love to hear your experiences and ideas.

Yours,

Bruce

PS: Have you checked out the new Day Crafting Apprenticeship? A bespoke, 1:1 alternative to the group course. It is very exciting and a better way for many people to get started with the craft.