Stop Waiting for Easy—Get Good at Hard

 



Sometimes you see something on social media, read something in a book, or hear something on a podcast that sticks with you. My sister-in-law sent me a TikTok video of a women’s basketball coach talking to her team about “hard things.” It was such a great message that I couldn’t stop thinking about it—I knew I had to write about it.

The premise of the speech was this: things don’t get easier. We always wait for life to get easy—how many times have you said, “I just have to get past this…” or “Once I get this salary or this job, things will be easier”? But guess what? It doesn’t get easy. Life doesn’t get easier—you just have to get better at handling hard things.

I love this message because once you conquer one challenge, more will come. That’s how life works. The key isn’t waiting for an easier path—it’s learning how to thrive in the hard moments.

How to Get Better at Hard Things

So how do we get good at hard? How do we stop waiting for life to magically get easier and instead build the resilience to handle whatever comes our way?

Here are a few ways to strengthen your "hard things" muscle:

  1. Change Your Mindset – Instead of dreading hard things, reframe them as opportunities. Every challenge is a chance to grow, learn, and prove to yourself that you can handle more than you think. It isn’t happening “to you” it’s happening “for you.”
  2. Stop Waiting for Easy – Recognize that "easy" isn't coming. There will always be a new challenge, a new responsibility, a new level of discomfort. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can shift our energy toward getting stronger, not waiting for things to change.
  3. Take Small, Daily Steps – Big challenges can feel overwhelming, but breaking them down into small, consistent actions makes them more manageable. Show up every day, even when it's tough. That’s how resilience is built.
  4. Embrace Discomfort – Growth happens when we push beyond our comfort zone. Whether it’s in fitness, career, relationships, or personal development, discomfort means you’re stretching yourself in ways that will make you better.
  5. Build a “Hard Things” Mindset – Instead of saying, “This is too much,” try saying, “This is making me stronger.” Instead of thinking, “I can’t do this,” remind yourself, “I am learning how to handle this.” Shifting your internal dialogue changes everything.

The truth is, life will never stop throwing challenges our way. But we don’t have to fear them. Instead, we can train ourselves to get good at hard, to rise to the occasion, and to face life with strength, not hesitation.

So the next time you catch yourself saying, “I just have to get past this…” stop and remind yourself—you don’t need things to get easier. You’re just getting stronger.

Now, let’s get good at HARD.

Check out the Tik Tok that inspired thisnewsletter. 

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