Waiting for Perfect Weather Keeps You Frozen

This weekend, I took my kids camping in -4°F weather. Windchill of -26°F.

Was my parenting judgment… questionable?

Our cabin had a wood-burning stove in the middle, which gave us some warmth. But it was still COLD - the kind of cold that would have many complaining on a normal day.

Here’s what I noticed: They adapted.

After a few hours outside in those brutal temps, stepping into that cabin felt like paradise. Even though it was still colder than any indoor building back home, they’d found a new baseline.

One of my kids even said while we were outside: ‘Hey, this really doesn’t feel all that bad.’

We skied. We played in the snow. And every time someone had to use the bathroom - which meant stepping OUTSIDE of the cabin - they did it without complaint.

Why? Because they had that relatively warm cabin to come back to. But also because they had adapted to a new “normal” environment. A new baseline.

Here’s what fascinated me about this:

The warmth of that cabin fluctuated some based on the fire we built but the weekend weather was mostly at or below zero. The overall temperature didn’t change.

What changed was their relationship to it.

When you spend hours in -24°F windchill, suddenly 60, 50, or even 40 degrees feels warm. Your body doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to find comfort - it adapts to what’s available and redefines what ‘warm enough’ means (within certain limits).

We didn’t pause our fun while waiting for the temperature to be ideal. We created comfort in what was actually there.

I see this same pattern everywhere - in business, in careers, in major life decisions.

We think we need perfect conditions before we move forward. The ideal market. The perfect timing. All our ducks in a row.

But that’s backwards.

▶️We don’t get comfortable by waiting for easier circumstances. We get comfortable by committing to the circumstances we’re in and adapting our baseline or by finding a way to fill the gaps.

▶️The entrepreneur who launches before they feel ‘ready’ learns faster than the one waiting for absolute certainty.

▶️The exec who makes the career move despite the risks builds confidence through action, not planning.

▶️The parent who chooses the imperfect school and commits fully gives their kids stability, not endless second-guessing.

▶️We didn’t wait for the weather to cooperate. We adjusted our expectations and found a new normal.

☃️The cold didn’t change. Our capacity did.

What are you waiting to warm up before you commit?

What’s something you committed to before you felt ready?