Find the Direction. Not the Route.
Read on kevferrell.com
Welcome to REWIRE | REBOOT, a weekly newsletter where I share reflections from my ongoing personal growth journey and provide tested ideas, frameworks, tools and practices to help you create the life you want.
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In this issue:
-
Rewire - The Path Isn’t Always Clear
- Reboot - Cold Exposure
- One Action - Get Cold
Rewire - Idea I'm Exploring
The Path Isn’t Always Clear
I’m not a big fan of winter.
But one thing I do appreciate is snowshoeing through the nearby forest. There’s something about the quiet stillness and the challenge of navigating the terrain that forces you to be fully present.
Recently, I went out on a hike with my wife.
We started on a familiar path—one that’s regularly used by snowmobiles. It was clear, easy to follow, and predictable. We could see exactly where we were going.
We’d been down this path before.
And that was the problem.
It felt…boring.
So when we reached a clearing and a roadway that would lead us home, I suggested we leave the trail and make our own path.
At first, it was simple enough.
I knew the general direction. But there was no defined route. Just trees, fallen branches, and uneven terrain.
No clear line of sight to where we were headed.
We hit dead ends.
We adjusted course.
Sometimes we had to double back.
Leading the way, the terrain got difficult. I stumbled. A few times, I fell.
But each time, I got back up, brushed off the snow, and kept moving.
My wife wasn’t convinced.
“I think we’re going the wrong way,” she said more than once.
And in the moment, I could see how it felt that way. There were stretches where it seemed like we were moving farther from where we wanted to be.
But I knew we were heading in the right general direction.
We just weren’t taking the easy path.
At one point, she asked again if we should turn back.
I asked her to trust me and enjoy the journey, the adventure.
Eventually, we broke through the trees into a clearing. Right in front of our house.
She smiled and said, “You were right.”
I smiled back, “It’s not about being right.”
It’s about letting go of the fear that you’re on the wrong path and trusting that if you keep moving, adjusting when needed, you’ll get where you’re going.
That hike felt like a metaphor for how most things in life actually work.
You start with a clear plan.
Then reality shows up.
The path disappears.
You hit obstacles.
You question whether you’re going the right way.
And that’s where most people get stuck.
But the path to anything meaningful rarely looks like the well-worn trail.
- When you get knocked down and get back up – that’s resilience.
- When you hit a dead end and adjust – that’s adaptability.
- When you keep going, one step at a time – that’s consistency
Those are the things that actually move you forward.
If you follow the same path as everyone else, you’ll get the same results.
If you want something different, you have to be willing to step off the trail.
Be willing to go where others won’t.
Try things that might not work.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
When I start toward a goal, I usually know the direction.
But I don’t know every step of the way.
And I don’t need to.
The point is to start – and keep moving.
Focus on the process.
Deal with what shows up as it shows up.
Expect obstacles and be ready to respond.
Plan with optimism. Prepare for chaos.
Then take the next step.
The path reveals itself when you keep moving.
Reboot - Health & Longevity
Cold Exposure
Leaning into discomfort instead of avoiding it shows up physically as well.
While I’m not a fan of cold weather, I am a big believer in cold exposure.
It’s one of the most consistently uncomfortable things I do. And one of the most consistently valuable.
I’ve been doing it for years, without missing a day, with the exception of a short pause around my recent stem cell treatment.
I started simple:
- cold showers
- cold pools
- stepping outside in the middle of winter with minimal clothing
A couple of years ago, I added in a dedicated cold plunge.
My protocol
- Start with a hot shower
- Breathing exercises to prepare for the discomfort (typically 4x4 box breathing or a variation of the Wim Hof Method)
- Turn the water all the way to cold or step into the plunge
- Stay in for 2-3 minutes while continuing the breathing exercises
Sometimes I’ll do extended exposure or a few alternating hot and cold cycles.
Temperature: My cold plunge goes as low as 37°F (2.7°C) so I find 2-3 minutes is enough to derive the benefits. With cold showers, the temperature varies, but it’s more than cold enough where I live.
Timing;
- Early morning works best
- Before resistance training, not after.
- If done post-training, better to wait several hours (to avoid blunting hypertrophy and strength gains)
What you feel
Every time, there’s resistance.
I don’t want to do it. That doesn’t change.
But what keeps me doing it is what happens after:
- increased alertness
- mental clarity
- improved mood
- a noticeable physical reset
There’s also a behavioural component. Doing something hard and uncomfortable builds resilience.
It makes other difficult things you encounter throughout the day seem less daunting.
What’s happening in the body
Cold exposure triggers a coordinated physiological response:
- Vasoconstriction - reduces heat loss and shifts blood flow
- Sympathetic activation - increases alertness and arousal
- Neurotransmitters - significant increases in norepinephrine and dopamine
- Thermogenesis - increased heat production via shivering and metabolism
- Stress-response pathways - activation of adaptive cellular mechanisms
These are survival mechanisms, but when applied in controlled doses, they can be leveraged.
Cold exposure is a form of deliberate stress that drives adaptation.
Benefits
Most supported
- Improved mood and alertness
- Increased focus and energy
- Reduced perceived muscle soreness
- Potential improvements in insulin sensitivity
Less supported
- Fat loss (brown fat activation has minimal impact in adults)
- Immune enhancement (evidence is mixed)
- Longevity effects
Types of cold exposure
There are two primary methods:
Cold water immersion
- Cold showers, Ice baths, cold plunges, cold pools
- ~5–15°C (41–59°F)
- 1–15 minutes
Whole-body cryotherapy
- Extremely cold air
- -110°C to -160°C (-166°F and -256°F)
- 2–3 minutes
- Less practical for regular or daily use
Risks and considerations
- Cold shock response (especially for beginners)
- Temporary increases in blood pressure
- Risk of hypothermia with excessive exposure
Bottom line
Cold exposure is not about comfort.
It’s a controlled stressor.
Used consistently, it can:
- sharpen your mental state
- improve stress tolerance
- provide measurable physiological benefits
It’s not a cure-all, but it’s a high-leverage tool when used appropriately.
One Action
Get Cold
Give cold exposure a try.
After your normal hot shower take 20–30 deep breaths. Then crank the water to cold.
Start with 30 seconds and work your way up.
Focus on staying calm and steady through the discomfort.
Inspirational Quote
Changing Direction
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
– Lao Tzu
Where you're currently heading may be somewhere you never intended to go. You might need to change direction to get to your ultimate destination.
Readers Corner
Q&A
Recently I wrote about Civility.
Brennan had a great question I want to share.
“I really liked this one. I struggle with it but am going to practice it.
Question - do you think this practice will help the other person to hear your point of view without flaring up? I know we can't control other people's emotions and it's great if we can make their view point felt heard and felt understood but will this process make it easier for them to hear ours?”
My response:
Great question. Yes, I think it absolutely helps. When someone feels truly heard, their defenses drop significantly. It doesn't guarantee they'll reciprocate, but it makes them much more receptive to hearing your perspective without immediately becoming defensive. You can also guide them using what I'll call "reverse mirroring": ask them to repeat back what they heard you say to ensure both sides are clear. And then calmly let them know how that makes you feel and why without being accusatory. It obviously requires effort from both sides; as you pointed out, we can't control their emotions and behaviors. We can do our part to facilitate a productive dialogue.
It's not easy to do and requires significant restraint, which is why I refer to it as a form of strength and a discipline. A practice.
Ask Me Anything
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Until next week,
Kevin
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