Take a moment to think about it. Was it a big professional challenge? A tough personal decision? Or maybe it was simply showing up every day when things felt overwhelming.
Whatever it was, it taught you something valuable. Hard things always do.
But here’s the catch: as humans, our natural tendency is to seek comfort. It’s hardwired into us for survival—our brains evolved to avoid pain, conserve energy, and stay safe. In modern life, though, that instinct often works against us.
If we let it, this tendency to seek comfort can lead to a life where we avoid challenge altogether. Imagine the ultimate “comfortable” life:
– You never leave the couch.
– Your meals are brought to you.
– You never have to solve a problem, learn something new, or face failure.
It might sound nice for a day or two, but over time, this extreme comfort would strip away everything that makes life meaningful. Growth. Purpose. A sense of accomplishment. Without challenge, we stagnate.
This is why we need to intentionally choose hard things. When we push past the desire for comfort, we open the door to growth, confidence, and transformation.
Here’s a quote I love from Andrew Huberman:
“The reason to deliberately do hard things is so that when non-self-elected challenges arrive (and they will), you can tell yourself: “I don’t know how this is all going to turn out, but I am certain I can do hard things.” Don’t self-injure. But doing hard things is always worthwhile.”
So as we look ahead to 2025, I challenge you to add more “hard” to your life.
– Pick a goal that excites and scares you.
– Lean into the tasks that feel uncomfortable but lead to something better.
– Take on challenges that force you to grow, even if it’s messy.
Because the hardest thing you do next year might be the thing that transforms you in ways you never imagined.
And in case you need some more encouragement, I’ve included an HBR article below about How to Convince Yourself to Do Hard Things.
Here’s the article: https://hbr.org/2021/12/how-to-convince-yourself-to-do-hard-things
