What's Your Hard Thing?
It’s not about loving hard things — it’s about what we’re willing to do to get what we truly want.
I like to say I prefer easy things. But if you looked at some of my choices from the outside, you might question that.
I’ve raised my hand for the tough challenges at work.
I quit a good job to figure out how to be a coach and consultant.
I picked up running in my 40s and eventually ran marathons.
I said yes to a Ragnar trail race — even though I’d never been a trail runner, let alone in the dark or at elevation.
I signed up for a sprint triathlon that started by jumping off the Cape May–Lewes ferry.
By many standards, those weren’t “easy” decisions and accomplishments.
But for me, I loved the challenge of seeing if I could do them. I always said I wasn’t a marathon person — not enough time, not enough capability. But then I saw people decades older than me running them. Cancer survivors. Medical residents with intense work schedules. And I asked: If they can do it, why can’t I?
That same shift helped me launch my business. Other people were doing it. Why not me?
I knew both choices would be hard. I knew I might want to give up. (And there were moments when I wanted to.)
But I chose to keep going — because I wanted to prove I could do hard things. Not to the world, but to myself.
Suffering well, showing up, and standing out
I was listening to an episode of the Learning Leader podcast recently (the link is below), and one theme hit home: the idea of doing hard things — and even suffering well — as a core part of personal and leadership growth.
Hard things will happen.
In life. In leadership. In business.
And while we may want ease, most things worth having will require effort. Discipline. Discomfort.
The podcast highlighted something interesting: fewer people seem willing to push outside their comfort zones these days.
And that? That creates an opportunity — because if you’re willing to do the hard things, you stand out.
Resilience comes from the hard things you’ve already done
When I hit something hard now — personally or professionally — I draw on the moments I doubted I would make it… and did.
Those moments are the raw materials of our future resilience.
Your version of hard might be different than mine.
There’s no comparison.
There’s no prize for the “hardest” life.
But here are a few things I’ve made it through professionally that have made me who I am:
Being told on Day 1 of my first professional job that my role wasn’t funded. I survived — and found a new path.
Getting feedback I didn’t know how to work with. I survived — and grew from it.
Missing out on a role I really wanted. I survived — and better opportunities followed.
Letting people down on a project. I survived — and learned what needed to change.
Not showing up as the leader I wanted to be — and having someone call it out. I survived — and got serious about self-leadership.
Each of these felt hard. But I kept going.
Want something? Be willing to work for it.
Doing the hard thing doesn’t mean abandoning your boundaries, values, or well-being.
But it does mean showing up when it’s uncomfortable.
It means doing the long training run in the rain because you know it’s the preparation you need to run the race you want.
It means getting up early to practice a presentation for the 100th time so you feel prepared.
It means taking on an assignment that you know will require extra effort because you know that it will give you experience you need.
The honest truth I’ve learned about myself?
When I’m unwilling to do the hard thing, it usually means I don’t want it enough.
Not deep down.
Maybe I want the outcome, the image, the external reward.
But if I’m not willing to prioritize the work?
It’s not the thing for me.
So… what’s your hard thing right now?
What’s the thing — personal or professional — that you do want enough to push through discomfort?
To train for?
To commit to — even when it’s hard?
Hit reply or drop a comment.
Let’s name it. And keep going.
Thoughts for Reflection
"If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse." — Jim Rohn
"Success is never owned. It is only rented — and the rent is due every day." — Rory Vaden
Announcements
📣 Don’t Miss This Session: The May Leadership Endurance Round Table will be on Wednesday, May 21st. Based on your questions from the Career Endurance post, we will tackle this topic since we all need a career endurance plan and understand how we best support our teams. You can register for this session and future ones with this link.
Leadership Learning Content
Articles
The secret to performance…What winning companies do differently
“Leaders focus. Winning companies are 33% more likely than peers to concentrate exclusively on the distinctive activities that drive performance and 21% more likely to engage managed services partners to tackle less distinctive activities. That division of responsibility frees up resources for what matters: building an organization where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and accelerated performance is the norm.”
The obsession advantage in transformation
“During a downturn, companies are under pressure to think about everything they do and each source of value. Every stone must be overturned. This urgency tends to make leaders think they need to pull back on everything, when in reality, they only need to pull back on investments that don’t deliver ROI.
But that’s not all. Remember, your goal is to prune the tree so it can thrive—not just to go around sawing off branches. Any cuts must set up individuals, teams, and departments for long-term success, despite the short-term pain.”
Podcasts
If you missed past podcast episode recommendations, you can find them here.
Looking for other valuable resources we offer? Check out all of the resources here.
If you want other resources to read or watch, check out My Favorite Things list here.
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