It’s really easy to fall into the rut of everyday life. In a world tailored towards our convenience its easy to avoid hard things. We are a people who can have anything in just a few days or pay anyone to do nearly anything. This has long made us soft and often derived us of something we all need to feel. A feeling of accomplishment when you do something hard. Something that is truly a challenge. That feeling of achievement when you conquer something does more than just make you walk with swagger.
It builds confidence, it sharpens the mind and eventually the more difficult things you do the easier it gets. The problem is that doing something hard is fuckin’ hard. The fear of failure and the unknown often holds us back and eventually we get into a place that will surely kill us, and that’s your comfort zone.
That hard thing can be anything, as long as its hard. From going to the gym every morning before work, to say you’re sorry for something you did. Hard shit is hard shit, and no one gets to tell you what you consider hard isn’t hard. Personally, I like the physical aspect of doing something hard. I want to get out there and find something that needs to be done and do it. I struggle with finishing projects and doing small tasks I know I need to complete.
One such project was a tree stump left over from a knocked down tree left over from Florida’s latest hurricane. It stood roughly five feet tall and taunted me daily. I finally jotted it down in the notebook and decided to take care of it. How exactly was I planning to do that?
By Buying An Axe
I could pay someone to do it, or use my chainsaw, or I could do something hard. So I bought an ax and decided to take it down manually. I need the exercise and there I needed an ax anyway so this seemed like the right time to act.
I went at it, chopping, slicing and destroying my way through the stump until it was a big pile of dead wood. It took time, energy, and admittedly when I was done I felt I earned that beer. Since then I’ve tried to do something every single day. From business dealings to just trying some kind of new workout, or building an 80% 1911 versus buying one, or even having a hard conversation with the people I care for.
In the last few months, I’ve never felt better about myself. Making doing something hard into a habit has allowed my professional and personal life to flourish. I’ve learned things about the world and myself, I’ve become more productive, and dare I say wiser?
Just Do Something Hard
Without a doubt doing something hard at least once a week will help you grow as a person. Sometimes it can be tough to find something new every day, but anytime you get out of your comfort zone you’ll find yourself a little smart and a little stronger.
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