Forget New Year’s resolutions—a top trainer says this Japanese goal-setting ritual transformed her motivation and self-belief

The point of setting a goal is that you’ll eventually achieve it, right?

Not necessarily. There’s another approach that encourages you to focus on the process of pursuing the goal rather than the end result.

It has its roots in a Japanese Shinto practice called Misogi, which involves walking into an icy waterfall to cleanse the mind and body.

The modern take on this ritual—the Misogi Challenge, popularized by physician Dr Marcus Elliott—encourages you to undertake a nearly impossible goal like completing an ultramarathon.

Just like with the ice water, the idea is to commit to something difficult or uncomfortable. Even if you don't achieve your goal, striving to reach it will help to reveal what you are truly capable of.

How trainer Hannah Eden used Misogi in her training

Misogi is something former CrossFit athlete and Ironman finisher Hannah Eden has incorporated into her own training, setting herself goals that feel nearly impossible

“The dedication and training to get to that goal is something that you can’t quite put into words,” she tells Fit&Well.

“You evolve into a different version of yourself, and the feeling that you get once you reach the finish line [no matter the outcome] is so empowering, and that changes you.”

How can Misogi be helpful for exercise motivation?

Eden has used Misogi to train for CrossFit and HYROX competitions and, more recently, when taking on an Ironman.

“It's something that helps you have purpose behind your training,” she says. “It gives you motivation on the days that you don't want to show up because you've got something bigger on the calendar to work towards.”

The concept of Misogi was particularly helpful for Eden following the birth of her child.

“It was a really humbling experience for me because I have been at an elite level for so long that I almost got out of touch with what it was like to be a beginner,” she remembers.

“I was three months postpartum, I could barely run and I’d lost all this strength, so I almost felt like a beginner again—and I decided to sign up for an Ironman, which is insane.”

Enjoy the journey with Misogi

The principles of Misogi encourage you to think about what you can learn by challenging yourself to do difficult things.

“It's not about race day, it's about the journey to get to the start line, the person that you become along the way, the potential that you find in yourself and the discipline and the habits that you start to build,” says Eden.

“For anyone who is a beginner, do something that scares you,” she recommends.

“Sign up for something that you have to train for and watch who you become along the way.”