Running towards difficult work

Even the most intimidating of challenges can be successfully reframed as enticing growth opportunities by simply reminding ourselves:

“I choose to do this hard thing because of the person it will enable me to become.”

I will sign up for this triathlon because it will get me to push my limits and increase my athleticism.

I will take this difficult class because it will instill in me a higher level of rigorous thinking that will serve me well in life.

I will work on this project even though I don’t feel like it because it will prove that I do not need to rely on motivation to do important work.

When you frame things this way, the prospect of difficult work transforms from a signal to run away into a signal to run toward.

This is an important mindset shift.

Easy stuff does not build competence.

Hard stuff does.