Yes, You Can Do Hard Things – More Than You Know

You can do hard things. And when you do, you will transform yourself and your life.

This probably won’t be a popular post. Many will object to the messages herein because of lifelong programming, and/or a mindset that tells a different story.

We’ve written in this article on ‘your time to shine‘ about the concept of how those who actually put forth the effort to pursue their dreams—however long it takes through consistent persistence—is rare. In fact, estimates are that is boils down to only about 1% of the population.

That’s one of the reasonings this message may be a less popular article because doing hard things is hard and most people try to avoid that. We’ve all heard (or said) some of the common sayings like, “Don’t work too hard.”

Perhaps you’ve worked for a place where fellow workers told you not to work too hard lest you make them look bad and set new standards of higher expectations from the boss. Hopefully, you haven’t been the person saying that to others, but if you were, it’s also because that’s how you were programmed to think.

We can change our programming to help us rise into more instead of sinking into less.

“Our uprising is against a cultural mindset that twists the purpose and potential of the teen years and threatens to cripple our generation. Our uprising won’t be marked by mass riots and violence, but by millions of individual teens quietly choosing to turn the low expectations of our culture upside down.”
~Alex Harris, teen co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, homeschooler, b.1989

Hard Happenings

You may be thinking that I have no idea just how hard it is—or has been—for you.

And you’re right. If I don’t personally know you, then I probably don’t know your specific story and pain and struggles. But I do know my own and that of others. AND, I know about overcoming them firsthand, through great grief and pain, struggle and sorrow, depression and despair.

Struggle is a part of life. The good and bad. The wins and fails. The love and loss. If we want to experience life’s joys we must also accept and grow from life’s strife. It’s all life. This one special and precious life.

As an empath, I also feel other’s pain and struggles, and the hurting of humanity deeply.

In fact, for this reason I no longer tune into the news. And when our kids were growing up, their dad was the one to do the doctoring of wounds. Not because I can’t stand the sight of blood, but because my empathy translates to actual physical pain, sometimes even more than what the child was experiencing. So I avoided it when “Dad” was around, but rallied forth whenever I needed to. Then it was definitely a hard thing worth doing.

“If you’re struggling with anything, consider how to turn that struggle into a strength. The opportunity for growth is latent within every challenge.”
~LeAura Alderson, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Don’t Let Yourself Be Victimized

Don’t believe those old stories you (or others) have been telling you/yourself. Don’t believe the ones who tell you not to work too hard; to go easy on yourself; to take it easy.

Unless.

Unless you will be completely satisfied with a lesser outcome than the pursuit of and achievement toward your dreams. No regrets, just less stress and more comfort.

If that’s what makes you happiest, then that’s where you need to be.

But IF, in your heart you know that you’re here to do more, then don’t shortchange yourself or your years, no matter how hard or how long.

In the end, we rarely regret every effort to become more, but nearly always regret settling for less.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Seek Out Those Who Will Challenge and Cheer You

Remember, many of these well-meaning friends and family may also be threatened by your decision to work hard and improve yourself. If they don’t want to and you do, then your efforts could create an uncomfortable gap in your relationship, or cause them to feel embarrassed by their choices to do less and be less than they’re capable of. Some may even feel that their way of life could be threatened by the new you.

But you… you can do hard things if you choose to. It may mean finding new friends who are also aspiring. In fact that’s essential to your optimum growth because your associations definitely matter. Environment is more powerful than will. When we aspire to reach a goal we need to surround ourselves with those who cheer us on rather than tell us not to work too hard.

“When we surround ourselves with negative or toxic people, we often start to mirror their negativity.”
~Jamie Kern Lima, multimillionaire founder ‘it cosmetics‘, author, b. 7/16/1977

Photo by Mark McGregor on Unsplash

Beware Commiserators

So be wary of those who will repeatedly commiserate your falling short of your goals, or even setting goals at all. They are protecting themselves against your example which reflects back to them something they’re rather not see in themselves right now.

Some, are simply repeating a cultural programming that is so entrenched a way of life that they’re not even aware of its grip on them. Most are simply not aware of the constrictions a “do less” mindset versus a growth mindset is placing on their happiness and potential.

RELATED: See the “training the elephant” analogy in this article on mental programming.

“Imagine what would happen if you decided to believe that you could.”
~Jamie Kern Lima, founder ‘it cosmetics’, author, b. 7/16/1977

Avoid Victim Mindsets – Yours and Others

We’ve all been there. A friend loses weight and looks great, (when we’ve gained). Or he gets a new job, a new car, or a new home. Suddenly, we feel that we or ours is “less than” in some way. We become self conscious and uncomfortable, and might even breath a sign of relief if we see that friend again and they’ve gained weight, or look older, or whatever the gap in us is experiencing.

Sure, there’s a time and place for all of that, and sure, if you’re truly too hard on yourself all the time, then it may be time to readjust that mindset. Time to forgive, understand and take that under advisement and constructively apply a mindset reset from victim to victor, from fixed to learner, from closed to open.

But we need to be aware that the excuse of being too hard on ourselves can also serve to keep us — and others — from pushing us to our next level of growth.

Who said pushing yourself was a bad thing? Maybe you shouldn’t believe them. What coach of what winning team tells the players not to push themselves? What Olympian considers that they should hold back and not push themselves? What successful entrepreneur clocks in 9-5?

What successful artist, author, entrepreneur, athlete, CEO… What accomplished creator got there by not pushing themselves?

None.

~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

We Must Push Ourselves to Grow

In order to grow better, capable and stronger, we must push against the gravity of our own resistance.

That’s the first struggle. The more we resist our resistance to doing hard things… to just doing the work, the stronger we get and more capable of doing the next harder thing.

To say that we’re hard on ourselves could be reframed as being good to ourselves because we care enough to hold ourselves to a higher standard. AND to be aware when we’ve fallen short so that we can continue in our journey toward better.

Self betterment is afterall, what we’re all here to do: to learn and grow. In learning and improving we are growing into our destiny… even as we’re creating it. Destiny is malleable and like our GPS, it adapts and adjusts our course to new possibilities and opportunities as we grow.

“Unfortunately we often get praise for things that weren’t particularly difficult to achieve. If we focus on the props and encouragement of those who have low expectations for us, we become mediocre. It can be challenging to set our sights on excellence, particularly when we’re hearing that we’re already there. Challenge yourself and others to call the normal things normal and save that word excellent for things that really are.”
~Alex Harris, co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, famous homeschooler, b.1989

It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way

“I must be getting old.”

Growing up, I heard people say that all the time. So when — in my mid to late 30’s — my back ached, or it took a little extra effort to stand up from a squat or from sitting, that’s what I’d say.

Until one day I heard myself repeating those familiar words of others and began to question if that was really true. As I became more aware of my own conditioning and mindset it began to dawn on me that life didn’t have to be that way.

Sure, there are many things about aging that are inevitable. But there’s so much that we can prevent and improve upon.

“Being human is not hard because you’re doing it wrong, it’s hard because you’re doing it right.”
~Glennon Doyle, activist, writer, author, in her book Untamed, 3/20/1976

Easier or Harder?

If we have a harder time getting up today (whether from sleep or from sitting) it won’t be easier tomorrow. It won’t be easier next month, or next year.

Unless.

Unless we take actions today, now, to improve.

Do Hard Things

Taking action means harder now but easier later. Not taking action now means easier now, but harder later.

Harder later, when it’s already harder, compounds into a cascade of hard things. To do the hard thing now, compounds into strength that imbues more strength. 

Whether it’s your work, that new app, new skill for new job opportunities, daily creative discipline, exercise and diet, focus and diligence… when you do what’s hard now, tomorrow will be easier.

When we do the hard things, the hard things no longer do us in. Rather, they make us stronger and more capable.

When we do hard things, the hard things get easier and we grow stronger and more capable. If we avoid the hard things, the hard things get harder and we get weaker.

“The teen years are not a vacation from responsibility… they are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible.”
~Alex Harris, co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, famous homeschooler, b.1989

When You’ve Felt the Most Proud

Chances are that the times you’ve felt the most confident, comfortable with, and proud of yourself wasn’t when you were taking the easy route. Recreation and rest are essential, but they are to be the icing on the cake of accomplishments.

Chances are you’ve felt the strongest and most at ease with yourself after achieving through doing hard things. There’s something innate within all of us that compels us to grow, and growth almost always follows effort and struggle.

You’ve likely heard the popular saying, “If it was easy everyone would do it.” Which, if everyone is doing it then it’s no longer special or any particular accomplishment, but rather, it is average. There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as we’re still growing and evolving.

But chances are that our greatest growth—and thus permeating happiness—will come through our efforts to do the hard things.

“Higher standards become you.”
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

Do Hard Things Quotes

Action and Doing Hard Things

Taking action means harder now but easier later. Not taking action now means easier now, but harder later.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

When you do hard things now, tomorrow will be easier.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Avoidance and Do Hard Things Quotes

If we avoid the hard things, the hard things get harder and we get weaker.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Choice and Hard Things

Harder now means easier later. Choose consciously.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Difficulty Quotes

“All things are difficult before they are easy.”
~multiple authors and variations

Easy and Hard Things

When we do the hard things, the hard things no longer do us in.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

When you do hard things today, tomorrow will be easier.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Procrastination and Hard Things Quotes

Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.
Mason Cooley, aphorist, 1927-2002

Reputation and Do Hard Things Quotes

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.
~Jeff Bezos, entrepreneur founder Amazon.com, richest person in the world, b.1/12/1964

Stronger Quotes

When we do the hard things, the hard things no longer do us in. Rather, they make us stronger and more capable.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

When we do hard things, the hard things get easier and we grow stronger and better. If we avoid the hard things, the hard things get harder and we get weaker.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

Success and Do Hard Things Quotes

What successful creator got there by not pushing themselves?
None.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

“The teen years are not a vacation from responsibility. They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible”
~Alex Harris, co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, homeschooler, b.1989

“Unfortunately we often get praise for things that weren’t particularly difficult to achieve. If we focus on the props and encouragement of those who have low expectations for us, we become mediocre. It can be challenging to set our sights on excellence, particularly when we’re hearing that we’re already there. One of life’s greatest lessons, which we all must learn, could be expressed in the phrase “That was nothing. Watch this.” Challenge yourself and others to call the normal things normal and save that word excellent for things that really are.”
~Alex Harris, co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, homeschooler, b.1989

To say that we’re hard on ourselves could be reframed as being good to ourselves because we care enough to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

“Our uprising is against a cultural mindset that twists the purpose and potential of the teen years and threatens to cripple our generation. Our uprising won’t be marked by mass riots and violence, but by millions of individual teens quietly choosing to turn the low expectations of our culture upside down.”
~Alex Harris, co-author ‘Do Hard Things’, cofounder TheRebelution.com, homeschooler, b.1989

“If we have a harder time getting up today, it won’t be easier tomorrow. It won’t be easier next month, or next year.

Unless.

Unless we take actions today, now, to improve.”

WHEN DOES IT BEGIN?

When does it begin, 
the creation of 
your magnificent future?

Don’t make it wait. 
Open the universal floodgate.
Step into it now.

One step,
And then another.
The day is the way.

~LeAura Alderson,
writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®

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