Chasing Friction (Yes, On Purpose)

Welcome to Radhika’s Newsletter “Intent”. This is your weekly-ish guide to purposeful living, wealth-building, and personal growth.

Happy Tuesday! I’m so excited to share this edition of Intent. Today’s topic is all about Purposefully making things hard for you. Yes you read that right. We’re diving deep into exactly why this matters and how it can transform your approach to your work, life, relationships, discipline (anything at all!).

What I’m Sipping On This Month

This month, I’m sipping on White Rose Tea, which is hand picked from the top of the plant and very minimally processed. It’s a great one for boosting immunity, supporting digestive health, and reducing stress and anxiety. I mainly drink it when I’m craving a floral note to my day. This is a great tea to use for lattes as well!

Chasing Friction: Why I Choose the Difficult Path

Everything in life tells you to avoid the hard stuff. The world is engineered for ease:

• Robot vacuums replace sweeping and mopping.

• Grocery delivery means you don’t even need to put on shoes.

• Apps for food, laundry, cleaning, even dog walking.

Convenience is king, right? It makes sense: progress often means making life easier.

BUT AT WHAT COST!? (can you tell how angry this makes me!!!) 😡 

“Easy” means:

• Binging snacks instead of cooking a meal.

• Sitting in your house, glued to a screen instead of experiencing life.

• Virtual “connection” instead of real human interaction.

It’s saddening. It’s sickening. (both literally and figuratively) 🤒 🤮 

My Friction-Filled Year in NYC

When I moved to NYC last year, I braced myself for a hard transition. The city is full of friction, especially compared to suburban life:

• No car. If I want to go anywhere, I walk or wait for the subway.

• No in-unit laundry. I either drag my basket to a laundromat or use a shared machine in the building.

• No elevator. Every trip home is stairs, stairs, and more stairs.

My family still can’t fathom why anyone chooses this. “Why make life harder on purpose?” they ask. And honestly, I get it. We’ve been trained to crave the easy button for everything.

Push a button; problem solved. But here’s the thing: I kind of love that NYC forces me to give up the easy button:

• I love the daily walk to grab groceries, lugging my tote bag home.

• I love the free workout I get hauling myself up and down the stairs.

• I love that I go in-person to get my dry cleaning, get groceries, or get take-out. I get real human interaction. What a privilege!!

• I love that things are annoyingly difficult because it’s made me stronger, more appreciative, more ALIVE.

My Crazy Goals and Why I Chase Friction

Let me share some of my goals with you….they’re a bit crazy:

• Waking up at 5 a.m. (it’s so freaking hard—the easy thing is to snooze and sleep in).

• Completing a triathlon (I don’t need to, nor is anyone pushing me).

• Running as many miles as my age (I mean, why?).

• Becoming the youngest leader at my company (just to push myself a little extra).

• Cutting coffee fully (because I only feel the downsides).

• Cooking at home 5 days a week, even though I live right across from a Taco Bell (this is hard).

Choosing to do these hard things keeps making me mentally stronger. Don’t get me wrong: I struggle. A lot.

I need constant accountability, a refresher of my “why,” and the push to keep my discipline strong.

But here’s the thing: this mental strength is my armor. It’s what prepares me for discomfort, for the uncontrolled bad situations that life inevitably throws my way. And because of it, I feel more prepared than ever to handle whatever comes.

Why I Chase Friction

Living with friction has changed me. My steps went from 300 a day during COVID to 10,000 every single day. My appreciation for my body (its strength and its endurance) has skyrocketed.

Now, I chase friction.

I choose the harder path because I know it will make me better. It will teach me something. It will remind me what I’m capable of.

For example, when I could’ve taken an Uber the other day, I walked instead. My feet hurt, it took way longer, but I noticed so much more: a street musician’s song, the first snow of winter, the way my breathing steadied with every step. (It was magical ❄️)

This friction-filled choice wasn’t just about saving money or time: it was about being present.

A Challenge for You

Here’s the thing: when you do these hard things, every other damn thing in life becomes SO much easier. There’s literally no other way to go but up. So here’s a challenge for you:

What’s one difficult thing you can choose today?
- Skip the easy button. Pick the stairs. Walk the extra mile. Cook the meal.

Because when you embrace the hard stuff, you don’t just survive: you thrive. Sure your parents or peers won’t understand it but hey, this is something you’re doing for yourself.

And please, oh please! Don’t forget to reply to this email and share it with me! You all provide me with the encouragement and inspiration I need everyday to do all my hard things. Keep at it!

Support My Work

Enjoying this newsletter? If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me tea. Your support means so much! Every cup helps fuel the ideas, research, and energy I put into each newsletter.

👉 Buy me tea

Thank you so much for being a part of the Intent community. I rely on word-of-mouth for growth. If you enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love for you to share it with a friend.
Your commitment to living with purpose is exactly why this space exists. Can’t wait to share more in the next edition!

Until next time,
Radhika
Creating a life of purpose, wealth, and growth.