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Do the hard thing. And do it well.

We’re all doing hard things all the time. Whether in relationships, business development, personal improvements, helping our cats lose weight – if we are alive we are constantly making decisions to either rise to the occasion or give up because we’re over it. Keep going! This is part of the human experience!

Personally, I have a tendency to not realize I’m doing a hard thing until I’m about halfway into it. This may be a blessing or a curse, or an amalgamation of both, but when I realize what I’m doing is actually really hard, it’s important for me to stop, take a moment and appreciate that new piece of information, and even sometimes make a plan if I haven’t already or adjust the plan I have. This helps me better understand what it is I’m actually trying to accomplish, remember why I started it in the first place, and, if I’m working with others (which I often am), make sure that I am communicating effectively with them. If I’ve undertaken a hard thing, they probably got roped into it one way or another too.

Don’t avoid hard things! First, it’s useless to try and live this way. And also so boring! Second, when that moment arrives and you realize what you’re doing is hard, and hopefully you are more advanced than me and realize this much sooner than I do, ask yourself why you want to undertake this hard thing and how you are going to move through it. One piece of advice I got from someone when I started my business was this: “You’re going to need courage. And you have it. But make signs and put them up around your house that say courage. It helps.”

The point of this is not to grunt through hard thing after hard thing. There is a time for struggle and a time for peace. You may even be doing a hard thing that does not require struggle – I know, that came as a shock to me too when I realized it. The value of executing hard thing is not the accolade, the proving you are amazing and can do lots of hard things, or showing your old boss/boyfriend/friend, etc. what they are missing. The value lies in undertaking the hard thing that is in front of you and doing it well.

What does that mean? It means not cutting corners, finding excuses to complain about difficult clients or colleagues, and taking the time to learn what you don’t know. Doing the hard thing well means knowing that you’re going to grow and embracing that process, uncomfortable as it may be. Don’t bother doing the hard thing if you do not intend to execute it with your whole heart. It’s not worth it.

Activity: What’s the hard thing you have in front of you right now? Take a moment to dream and imagine. What does doing that hard thing well mean? How will you know when it’s done that you did it well? Now, make a list of the milestones you need to hit in order to get there.