The Trailhead Alex Hutchinson on Why Doing Things the Hard Way Feels So Good
May 13, 2025
In this conversation, endurance sports journalist Alex Hutchinson, known for his Outside column and the book Endure, delves into the fascinating world of exploration and the psychology behind why challenging tasks can lead to greater fulfillment. He discusses the 'explore vs. exploit' dilemma in running and life choices, emphasizing that inefficiency fuels joy and creativity. Alex also reflects on how parenthood shifted his views on curiosity and comfort zones, offering insights that encourage listeners to embrace uncertainty and push their limits.
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Explore vs. Exploit Dilemma
- Explore and exploit are two modes of decision-making: exploring to discover new options, exploiting to leverage known success.
- In running and training, this means balancing trying new approaches with sticking to proven strategies.
Vary Your Running Routes
- Try exploring new running routes to find novelty and joy in your training.
- Even small deviations can introduce valuable uncertainty and discovery.
The Uncertainty Bonus
- Humans seek uncertainty not to be confused but to resolve and understand it.
- This tension keeps activities challenging but rewarding, fueling continuous exploration and learning.
