Taking an ice bath was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. This is not an exaggeration.

As a member of the volleyball team at my college, I am required to take at least one ice bath during the season. As an inexperienced ice bath taker, I saw this as a simple task.

I was wrong.

Once I placed one leg inside that tub of freezing cold ice water, I felt the flow of chills travel up and down my spine. My whole body started shivering and I screamed. I thought about jumping out, but I knew that I could not give up. I had to hold on and keep going.

I was not born a quitter.

I proceeded to emerge my legs, knees, thighs, butt, hips, stomach, chest, and arms into the water. I felt the shortness of breath overwhelming me, my toes were so numb I couldn’t feel them anymore, and although I had shaved my legs the day prior, the cold made them prickly again.

I was falling apart.

I then began to stare at the ticking clock as the hands slowly traveled clockwise. I had five more minutes left.

Was I going to make it?

I started to take slow, deep breaths. I then told myself, “I can do this.” I had to stay mentally strong and finish what I had started. There was no going back.

Once the time was up and that little hand on the clock had finishing spinning, the pain was over. I was finished with my ice bath.

I made it!

Although I dramatized this experience, I used it to relay an important lesson I have learned about life. Once you start something, you must find the will power to finish it. Whether it is working hard at your sport, in school, at your job, or at finishing a pesky ice bath, you must convince yourself to never give up. The most successful people in life are the ones that tell themselves that they can do anything, even if it’s simply dipping in ice cold water. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Or, in my case, your frozenly numb toes.

I know it’s strange to compare my ability to take an ice bath with my ability to never give up, but I believe that diligence should be unwavering. A person should work hard for everything they do because if they don’t, you will never accomplish anything. If you don’t, you will never be satisfied with your life.

True satisfaction stems from working hard to achieve your goals. If you fail to do so, you’ll never win that uphill battle. You’ll never overcome those obstacles that hinder you from achieving greatness. You’ll never conquer that post-practice ice bath.