Your Misogi Ideas: The Ultimate List

Rule 1: Make it really hard; Rule 2: Don't die

A few weeks ago, I asked all of you in the 2% community to send me your Misogi stories. And you delivered. We got hundreds(!) of submissions.

I read about endless rucks, long-distance tire flips, epic canyon hikes, wilderness excursions, snowy mountain treks, backcountry hunts, sketchy encounters with fanged creatures, and on and on. And you did these Misogis despite life’s inevitable challenges: self-doubt, anxiety, insanely busy schedules, and even after overcoming dire health diagnoses like cancer.

I won’t lie: Your words about your Misogis and how they changed your life occasionally made me emotional. People are amazing. So thank you to everyone who submitted. You make me want to be a better human.
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As I mentioned in the call for Misogi ideas, one of the Misogi guidelines is that you shouldn’t advertise your Misogi. Attention is a hell of a drug and the internet allows us to get a lot of it and quantify it. But the allure of quantified, large-scale public attention online can also alter why we do what we do and bend our behaviors. It changes our “why.” Hence the phrase “do it for the ‘Gram.”​

Misogis have a different, deeper why. We do Misogis entirely for inner transformation—to get to the edge of what we’re capable of and watch that edge expand. Deciding not to post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and brag about your Misogi ensures that the focus stays on inner transcendence rather than outside pats on the back. And this is powerful: If you don’t quit when no one is watching, you’re less likely to quit in many of the other challenges life tosses your way.

The Misogi guideline is that the challenge should be quirky, creative, and far out. The more unique, the less chance you can compare it to anything else. Again: The focus is on self-transformation, not outward comparison.

But the downside of these guidelines is that it can make it hard for first-time Misogi seekers to get ideas for their own epic challenge.

That’s where all of you came in with your inspiring Misogi submissions. Now we’re creating a resource to help people dream up their own wild Misogi.

Remember the first rule of Misogi is “make it really hard.” We define that by saying you should have a 50/50 shot at finishing whatever task you take on. This means your own Misogi won’t be an exact copy of any of these. And, indeed, part of the value of Misogi is the introspection that comes from trying to assess what 50/50 is for you.

Below is a sampling of Misogis by theme: Quirky Misogis, Walking Misogis, Misogis that Break Psychological Barriers, Spontaneous Misogis, and Wildnerness Misogis. Use these as jumping-off points.

And always remember Rule 2: Don’t die. (Which, by the way, is a joke. Bring water and make sure someone knows where you’ll be. You know the viral Australian public campaign song “Dumb Ways to Die?” Yeah, don’t do any of that.)

Quirky Misogis

When designing your Misogi, you should make it quirky, creative, and uncommon. When you remove superficial metrics, you can accomplish far more. Here are some of the quirkier submissions I received. Let’s start with Francis, who left for his misogi the day after he submitted this:

“...our mission for tomorrow is finding a way to the peak of a nearby ski mountain by skis … we’ll go through the backcountry from my friend’s cabin and in some parts may have to bushwack a path with a hand saw. We have no idea if there’s a clear/safe path in the forest, no idea how long this will take, and we might have to head back if some obstacles cannot be passed. We’ll be carrying some heavy gear as well.” -Francis

“I entered a Scottish Highland Games competition. I had no idea what I was doing, or what to expect (other than what I've read). I’ve seen them, but first time ever participating.” -Mike

“My Misogi is ‘move 1 tonne of weight 1 kilometer.’ No wheelbarrows or mechanical aids. Just moving the weight.” -Darren

“I hand paddled on a standup paddleboard from Catalina Island to Redondo Beach pier in California. I just kneeled on the board and paddled using my arms. It was approximately 25 miles across the open ocean.” -Jon, 49

Walking Misogis

If you’re not ready for the far-out stuff, maybe try walking first, as some of you did.

“Last year I walked 100,000 steps in one day. I gave myself 24 hours to do it. It took me 18 hours. The distance came out to about 43 miles.” -Andrew

“My misogi for this year is to walk nonstop from 8pm to 8am over Memorial Day weekend - both trails and sidewalks. It’s my first one.” -Stephen

“I hadn’t walked more than 3 miles for decades. I walked 9 and it taught me I’m still very capable, despite my age.” -Janice, 79

Misogis that Break Psychological Barriers

Misogis push boundaries in the body, mind, and spirit. But these women really leaned into the mental element. They used Misogi to break anxiety and strengthen their social muscles. These are beautiful examples of how Misogis are so individual. The 50/50 chance of finishing is different. For some, sleeping under the stars with a bunch of strangers makes the load lighter and for others, it’s the setting of a slasher film.

“While my Misogi may seem very vanilla to most, as a stay-at-home mom with social anxiety, it was extremely out of my comfort zone and a catalyst for a lot of growth in all areas of my life. I signed up for a guided women's backpacking adventure in a place I’d never traveled to. I traveled alone and showed up without knowing anyone else in the group. I did a group High Sierra Mountain trip, and last year, I hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim (while terrified of heights) with a group. My next trip will be Half Dome. I do this every year now.” -Amanda

“I went on a group river rafting trip at 48. It was terrifying! But I'm glad I did it. This year, I'm going on a three-day women’s retreat and hike in Moab Utah with strangers. (The social element) is more terrifying than the river rafting for me.” -Kristina, 50

Each year, I do a reporting trip (I'm a journalist) into the Amazon rainforest with different Indigenous peoples. It's more mentally and emotionally demanding than physically for me-though physically in a different sense (not testing my strength/endurance so much as physical discomfort and disconnection from creature comforts). These have been life-changing for me in so many ways. Amazing. I did a similar trip a couple years ago. I can definitely understand the mental and emotional part. -Katie

Spontaneous Misogis

Some of you decided to wake up one day and just #GTFOutside. Which I love. The more a person trains for a Misogi, the more likely they are to shift the 50/50 odds to something they know they’ll accomplish.

“I haven't run since college (11 years now) and one day put on my shoes and ran a private 5k. IT SUCKED, at least for me, but got it done.” -Adam

“A buddy and I flew to Tanzania to summit Kilimanjaro with zero training. We used to be professional athletes, so we knew we 'could'... but wanted to test ourselves against the 7th tallest mountain in the world with our 'everyday' selves.” -Zachary

“In October, I biked across New York state alone. I didn’t train and had a very high likelihood of failing. Also: I don’t even know how to change a bike tire lol. I finished though! It was 365 miles in 6 days. One day I rode 100 miles in a day, which I had never previously done.” -Michelle, 41

Wilderness Misogis

Hiking and camping were the most common Misogi submissions. And for a good reason. When studying the effects of big, epic outdoor challenges, scientists found that leaving your house and entering the unpredictable, intimidating outdoors can help us develop resilience and character and improve our confidence. And, of course, time in nature is good for us. Really good; re-read Chapter 12 of The Comfort Crisis for a rundown of the science. Here are some ideas:

“I’d just turned 40, and in my mid-30s had surgery to remove a carcinoid tumor and 25% of my left lung. Two years after that, I had open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve and repair an aortic aneurysm. But last July, I did a solo overnight to Cirque of the Towers in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. I hadn’t done any backcountry camping in 20 years and had never camped alone or in bear country. Over two days I hiked ~25 miles, with 3,000ft of vertical climbing, all carrying about 65lbs.” -Andrew, 40

“I carried a 47-pound stone up South Sister mountain in Oregon last October. The only rule was no assistance in carrying the stone (backpack, straps, etc); I had to use my hands to carry it. The trek up South Sister is about 6 miles long with 5,000 feet of elevation gain. It was a grueling 6-hour struggle of short spurts of movement and long breaks. It was one of the most physically exhausting experiences of my life.” -Morgan, 29

“I hunted in the Hells Canyon Wilderness (the deepest canyon in North America and very rugged country). My secondary goal was to simply endure the conditions for the duration of the trip regardless of how uncomfortable they may be. I had little to no contact with anyone once I left the nearest town. In accordance with rule #2 I carried a Garmin InReach in case of emergencies and to periodically check in with my wife to let her know that I was still alive. Other than that it was just me and the mountains for 10 days.” -Matt, 33

“I hunted alone for 10 days in true backcountry with no support or friends to help. I shot a buck on my 9th day. I was 10 miles and 3,600ft of elevation change from the trailhead. It took me 3 days and 3 trips to pack out all meat and gear. When you're all alone with your thoughts, no other input of any kind, you go somewhere you can't go any other way. I'm sure you had some degree of that in Alaska.” -Benjamin

“My misogi was the Watzmann traverse. I did it in 17 hours with my brother last year. The Watzmann is the most iconic and highest mountain range in Germany at almost 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). But it's the distance that gets you: 24 kilometers (~15 miles). Once you're in the mountains there's no return—you have to complete the climb. It was the most magical experience in my life and I don't even know how I completed it in one go (most people split it in 2 or 3 days by section).” -Jessica

“My son and I chose to spend 6 days hiking between Hausach Germany and Basel Switzerland - over 120 miles on a trail through the Black Forest. We took only food that we could carry on our backs as well as minimal clothing and sleeping gear. We had to make it to the end in a finite amount of time to catch a train in Basel. We hiked up and down steep mountain trails, through pouring rain, cold windy weather. In the end we could barely move. We survived and look on this experience as type Il fun! I will continue to do these kinds of things - the experiences build character.” -KC

“Me and a partner competed in the Mammoth Sniper Challenge last month. Historically half of the contestants don't make it. It involves rucking at speed, long range shooting, backpacking, and problem solving and teamwork. The challenge is a 3-day long-range shooting event, where all of your gear, including sleep system, is carried with you for the duration of the event. 16 minutes per mile is the standard, with around 10-12 miles covered per day. If you fall short of that on a movement, you are dropped from the competition.” -Bryant

Finally, if you can’t travel, here’s other inspiration:

“My Misogi was to climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest on the Jacob’s Ladder Machine in three separate sessions. It was brutal!!!! P.s. I know it’s supposed to be outdoors. But I couldn’t travel so I got creative.” -James

I hope this list gives you plenty of starting points to design your own Misogi adventure. Go forth. Do hard things. It's sure helping me as I plan my annual spring Misogi. Even if you fail—and you should half the time if you’re doing it right—you’ll uncover new layers about yourself you didn’t know were there.

The complete list is available to the 2% community—i.e., you—through this link: The 2% Misogi List.pdf​

It contains all sorts of ideas. And even some surprising ones dealing with leaving jobs, weight loss, parenting, meditation, and more.​​

2% Top Two

My two favorite things this week:

One: You

The results from last week’s reader poll blew me away. I heard from hundreds of you. You range in age from barely out of high school to long past retirement. You are split about equally between men and women. You’re smart, accomplished, and active. Your jobs run the gamut—firefighters, soldiers, lawyers, doctors, farmers, strength coaches, architects, financial analysts, and on and on. The uniting factor between you all: You’re interested in being a better human and helping those around you be better, too. And you have a deep appreciation for nuance. An itch for solid information and a willingness to scratch it by asking good questions, reading, and researching. And so that’s what we’re trying to do with this 2% Newsletter. We’re going to think deeply about important topics and “go there” to find wisdom and perspectives that improve our lives. Expect to see a lot of great newsletters coming from your thoughts and submissions. Thanks.

Two: How the NFL Combine Highlights a Problem with Gym Training

The NFL Combine concluded this week. For the unfamiliar, each off-season, NFL teams put college prospects through a series of drills, exercises, and physical tests to try to predict their performance in the NFL and decide who to draft. They have players do sprints, bench press, jumps, and more. But a 2008 study discovered “no consistent statistical relationship between combine tests and professional football performance, with the notable exception of sprint tests for running backs.” What does this mean for you? In the fitness world, we often build and test capabilities we think will translate to the “real thing.” For example, doing a bunch of squats and lunges in the gym because we think it’ll make us hike better. The problem is that the “real thing” is incredibly dynamic—it occurs in unpredictable, uncontrollable, uncomfortable environments. Once we reach a requisite level of gym fitness, performing well during the “real thing” comes down to what we have on board psychologically—managing and reacting to all those unpredictable, uncontrollable, uncomfortable circumstances. Gym exercise is great—do it to build your base. But to be truly prepared, we also need to train in those uncomfortable environments. I.e. Do the “real thing” more often.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week,

Michael

Sponsored by GORUCK

I loved that many of you challenged yourself in GORUCK sponsored events, too! Like Joshua’s GORUCK Cloverleaf attempt: “1 workout every 4 hours for 24 hours. It ends up being 6 workouts, including over 35 miles of rucking.” I partnered with GORUCK on this newsletter because I’ve been using their gear for more than a decade. My everyday rucking setup is a Rucker and Ruck Plate. P.S. GORUCK just gave me a discount code for their gear. Use code: EASTER for 10% off.