You were made to do hard things.
That could be the end of the post right there. But if it were that easy to understand, everyone would do it.
The truth is, life has never been easier than it is today. The extreme majority of us have never worried about where our next meal will come from, where we would find shelter from the elements, how we would earn an income, or who to call in the case of emergency. That’s amazing, right?
Wrong.
This has made us soft.
Don’t misunderstand that, I am not saying that food, shelter, income, or safety are bad. No, in fact they are tremendous blessings. What I am saying is that when your next meal, your safety, your livelihood, or your protection are not in question, you have a tendency to give far less than your best.
My dad always used to say, “The hungry dog runs faster.” He didn’t actually mean that literal hunger makes you physically faster; what he meant was, when you are hungry for something like the next meal or the next opportunity, you will push harder than the next guy.
When life is easy, simple, and predictable, we have no incentive to take risks or push past our comfort zone. We punch the clock, collect our paycheck, and go about our merry way.
When in the hell has that attitude ever amounted to anything?
Want to lose some weight? That’s hard.
Want to earn more money? That’s hard.
Want to learn a language? That’s hard.
Repair a relationship? Hard.
Get out of debt? Hard.
Kick that habit? Start that business? Get that job? Hard. Hard. Hard.
The things that are really worth doing in this life are hard.
Then why on earth do we try so persistently to make life easy? We constantly seek comfort and convenience. We avoid hard things like they are dangerous or bad for us.
It is quite the opposite. Hard things make us better. They challenge us, break us down, and then give us the opportunity to grow.
Think about weightlifting. In order to grow bigger, stronger muscles, you have to repeatedly put them under stress, literally tearing your muscle fibers so they can repair themselves and grow larger, stronger, and more resilient.
Isn’t that interesting? The only way to get stronger is to intentionally stress your muscles to the point of breaking down. Without this catalyst, your muscles are never triggered to repair and grow.
Without the stress, there is no growth. Without the hard things, there is no better.
This is true in all aspects of life. Physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, professionally, financially, relationally – Our situation does not become better by taking the path of least resistance.
Better requires effort and changing course is hard. Some of us have been on the path of least resistance for so long that we have created some pretty deep ruts on that path.
One of the hardest things we can do is climb out of our ruts. Inertia is a powerful force. Staying in your ruts, or bad habits, is much easier than altering your course. Climbing out of your ruts may be the first hard thing to add to your list. These ruts can take many forms:
Negativity
Lethargy
Gluttony
Drunkenness
Apathy
Laziness
Anger
Sadness
Bitterness
Unforgiveness
Cynicism
Guilt
Shame
Discontentment
Recognizing that you are in a rut is the first step. Digging, scratching and clawing your way out is the next. This will be hard. You will be better for it.
Proving to yourself you are capable of hard things is the primary benefit of doing hard things. Climbing out of your rut, breaking the cycle of your bad habits, will empower you to take on the next hard thing.
Success breeds confidence. When you overcome a hard thing, you become more confident in your ability to tackle future hard things. This should become your new normal, your new habit.
Find hard things and do them.
Former Navy Seal, David Goggins says, “Do something that sucks every day.” This is a brash and straightforward reminder that we need to seek out challenges every single day. Consistency is key. We need to Chase Failure. We need to put ourselves in positions of stress and discomfort if we have any desire to become Better Every Day.
Each day, we get better or we get worse. Maintenance is an illusion that leads to complacency. Consistency is crucial in our pursuit of Better.
Doing one hard thing and then returning to your rut will not lead to Better. Eating one salad will not make you fit. Doing one workout will not make you strong. Attending one Spanish class will not make you fluent.
Better is something that is earned and the toll is due every day.
The daily pursuit of Better is not something that can be bought or inherited. Better is earned and the price is pain. You have to put in the work, the time, the effort to achieve whatever it is you have on your heart.
Maybe it’s a new business, losing 25 pounds, raising great kids, or repairing that marriage. Whatever your goal, hard things will be required. Easy things create ordinary results. Hard things create uncommon results.
Most people avoid the hard things. Most people seek comfort. If you are in pursuit of Better, hard things should be consistently in your sights.
Never allow comfort and complacency to replace hunger and drive. Your pursuit of Better requires you to seek out hard things daily and go at them head on.
Challenge:
As you have been reading this, what is that hard thing you have been thinking about? I know there is something. What change do you want to see in yourself? In your family? In your community?
Write it down. Now your hard thing has a name.
Now take that first step. Don’t waste any time. Take that step today. Face your hard thing and begin your pursuit of Better Every Day.
If you would like some accountability, tell me your hard thing in an email or on social media!
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