why?
i mean, why the fuck not?
why not challenge yourself?
why not do something that pushes you?
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excuses.
there’s a great deal of excuses you could use as to why not.
excuses, however, do nothing.
excuses hold you back. excuses keep you stagnant. excuses are prohibited.
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there’s so many benefits from doing hard things;
- to build mental and physical strength
- to build confidence and self love
- to serve as proof that you can do great things, and this often leads to more achievement
- to better yourself as a person.
identify
you need to identify what hard things you want to achieve and do.
there’s no use in haphazardly doing hard things — you could injure yourself and you’re not likely to make much progress.
identify a target, identify a goal, identify something that you want to achieve and give it your all.
how?
there’s a large range of ways to do hard things and it all depends on the thing you desire.
if the hard thing you want to do is run a marathon, the best way to do that is to consistently train.
if the hard thing you want to do is to start cold showering each day, the most effective strategy is to simply go for it, consistently.
all that matters is that you;
- identify the goal
- make it into a consistent habit
- believe in yourself
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it may be useful to observe others who are already experts in the thing you want to achieve.
observe their habits, their routine, their life. observe how they consistently do hard things and adopt those practices for yourself!
belief
you need to believe in yourself.
you need to believe that you have the power, the ability and the inner strength to do hard things. without this belief you’re unlikely to progress :(
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the way i’ve built inner confidence and belief is through affirmations.
affirmations are repeated words or phrases that work to provide strength, confidence and peace.
you can affirm anything you like; i tailor my affirmations towards my school, happiness and health.
affirmations can look like this;
- i love myself
- i am grateful for everything in my life
- i do not allow myself to be distracted in life
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alongside this i also practice positivity and find every way i can to uplift myself.
simply smiling can go a long way; smile to yourself and those around you.
consume content that makes you happy; read the books you enjoy, follow the people that align with your goals and values, listen to uplifting podcasts.
i don’t allow negative thoughts in my mind; over the years i’ve cultivated a strong barrier that prevents any self directed negativity from entering my mind. almost like an inner fortress.
the compound effect
the compound effect; the idea that your habits, practices and beliefs can compound to make something great. huge rewards can come from simple, small but consistent choices.
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the daily choices you make are immensely important.
the compound effect starts with small choices. the compound effect starts with what you do on the daily.
no matter what daily choices you make, they will compound. your daily choices shape your future; take control of that.
good habits, beliefs and practices compound in your favour. bad habits, beliefs and practices compound against you.
you could choose to work out or stay in bed an extra hour.
you could choose to work on a creative project or go to a party.
you and only you have the power to decide what you do on a daily basis. use this for your advantage and cultivate positive habits that compound in your favour.
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use the compound effect to your advantage.
the more you do hard things the easier they’ll become.
they’ll compound on each other and allow something great to prevail.
consistency
what’s important is that you prioritise consistency; the process of doing something repeatedly.
you need to be consistent with your practices.
you need to show up for yourself when you don’t want to.
you need to show up for yourself and do that hard thing when your brain is telling you not to.
you need to do that hard thing routinely. regularly. consistently.
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consistency is a measure of discipline.
consistency tells your brain that you are determined to better yourself.
consistency silences any thoughts of doubt.
consistency allows results and progress to prevail.
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i’m most consistent with my studying.
i have GCSE exams at the minute (which is crazy to even think about) and it’s incredibly important for me to be consistent with my studying.
it’s important for me to study when i don’t want to, when i’d rather be doing something else, when it’s early in the morning etc.
in order to be consistent, i;
- sometimes simply force myself to do the work. this involves just sitting down at the desk and making sure it happens.
- ensure i’m organised; i make sure i know what i’m doing, i have my resources and my space is clear
- cultivate a desire; through pinterest, youtube (i know i know), and my own personal reasons i romanticise studying and i cultivate a constant desire to do well!
- rest well when i’m not studying so that the desire stays constant
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it’s not easy, at all.
consistency is never easy.
but it is one of the most important virtues.
consistency allows you to become great.
do hard things.
push yourself.
challenge yourself.
be consistent
allow yourself to be great.
