Do hard things
Ever notice how we talk ourselves out of difficult things?
Ever notice how we talk ourselves out of difficult things?
We say, "I'm not disciplined enough." "I'm not that kind of person." "That’s just too hard for me."
But if you really think about it, you’ve already done hard things. A lot of them.
Maybe you taught yourself a skill from scratch, landed a job that once felt out of reach, moved to a new city alone, or pushed through a tough time in life. You didn’t feel ready — but you did it anyway.
That’s proof.
We all know that doing hard things is... well, hard. But have you ever noticed that the best things in life usually come from the hardest things we’ve done?
Think about it. The skills that make you valuable? The relationships that mean the most? The accomplishments that actually make you proud? None of them came easy.
That’s not a coincidence.
There’s a reason people who push themselves tend to have more fulfilling lives. The more you take on difficult things, the stronger, more capable, and more confident you become.
Pressure is a privilege.
Hard things make you stronger
When you challenge yourself, you build resilience. The more discomfort you face, the better you get at handling it.
A workout that feels impossible today will feel normal in a month. A skill that seems overwhelming at first will feel second nature after enough practice. The struggle is the growth.
If you avoid hard things, you shrink. You get weaker, less adaptable, and more afraid of failure. But when you choose to do hard things, you become the kind of person who can take on anything.
Hard things create meaning
Ever noticed that easy things don’t bring real satisfaction?
Scrolling social media, binge-watching shows, playing it safe — these things feel nice in the moment, but they don’t leave you fulfilled. The things that bring true joy — achievements, deep relationships, mastering a skill — come from effort and persistence.
Joshua Waldron puts it well:
“Hard creates fulfillment. It creates significance. It makes life fun.”
Because when you push through difficulty, you’re not just achieving a goal — you’re proving to yourself that you’re capable of more than you thought.
Hard things build confidence
Confidence doesn’t come from thinking you're capable — it comes from knowing you are.
And the only way to know is to prove it to yourself, over and over again.
Every time you step outside your comfort zone, your brain remembers: I’ve done hard things before. I can do this too. You stop avoiding challenges because they no longer feel impossible.
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build — one hard thing at a time.
The challenge
If doing hard things makes life better, the real question is: what’s stopping you?
Most of the time, it’s just fear of discomfort. But what if you started seeing that discomfort as proof that you’re on the right track?
So here’s a challenge: Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding because it feels hard. And start. No waiting for motivation, no overthinking — just action.
Because on the other side of hard things? That’s where the good stuff is.
— Alex
P.S. Want to start small? Keep a list of hard things you’ve done. Anytime you doubt yourself, look at it. You’re stronger than you think.