Sometimes Doing the Hard Thing Is Just… Hard

We’re surrounded by motivational quotes that tell us “growth begins outside your comfort zone” or “the hard road leads to the best views.” And yes, sometimes that’s true. But here’s the thing we don’t often say out loud: sometimes doing the hard thing is just… hard.

It doesn’t always feel rewarding in the moment. It doesn’t always come with a burst of clarity or a shiny life lesson tied up in a bow. Sometimes it just feels heavy, exhausting, or frustrating.

Whether it’s making a difficult decision, changing a habit, ending something that no longer serves us, or even choosing to keep going when it would be easier to quit... these choices can take a toll. And it’s okay to acknowledge that reality instead of romanticizing it.

Here’s the quiet truth: we don’t always see the value of doing the hard thing right away. In fact, psychologists talk about “desirable difficulties,” the idea that certain struggles don’t make life easier in the moment, but they do strengthen us in ways we only recognize much later. Sometimes the reward shows up weeks, months, or even years later, in subtle ways we didn’t expect.

Sometimes the reward is simply knowing we honored ourselves by following through, even when it was uncomfortable. That persistence is what some may call grit... passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Grit often predicts success better than raw talent. In other words, every time you stick with something hard, you’re reinforcing not just the action, but the identity of someone who follows through.

And maybe that’s the point. Doing the hard thing isn’t always about chasing some extraordinary outcome. Neuroscientists studying delayed gratification have shown that resisting the pull of what’s easy right now often sets us up for better outcomes later. But here’s the nuance: that doesn’t mean it feels good in the moment. Sometimes doing the hard thing is just practice in resilience... like me not eating the sweets that are always in my office's kitchen

So if you’re in the middle of doing the hard thing and it feels like… well, hard, you’re not alone. You don’t need to dress it up or force it to feel inspiring right now. It’s enough that you’re still moving forward. Because whether you can see it or not, you’re building something important - grit, resilience, and the kind of quiet strength that will carry you through the next challenge, too.

Giving myself the grace to keep going, even if it doesn’t feel glamorous right now...

-CC