Proof You Can Do Hard Things | Nate Eliason

Appreciation

Importance

Date Added

3.23.26

TLDR

Do hard things to prove to yourself that you can because it will turn “your default stance on challenges from ‘that seems hard’ to ‘I can figure it out.’”

2 Cents

I think about this a lot. Even when it’s something like “I want to quit on the treadmill,” I remind myself that it’s critically important for me to maintain this part of my self-identity.

Tags

The ability to do hard things is perhaps the most useful ability you can foster in yourself or your children. And proof that you are someone who can do them is one of the most useful assets you can have on your life resume.

Our self-image is composed of historical evidence of our abilities. The more hard things you push yourself to do, the more competent you will see yourself to be. If you can run marathons or throw double your body weight over your head, the sleep deprivation from a newborn is only a mild irritant. If you can excel at organic chemistry or econometrics, onboarding for a new finance job will be a breeze.

But if we avoid hard things, anything mildly challenging will seem insurmountable. We’ll cry into TikTok over an errant period at the end of a text message. We’ll see ourselves as incapable of learning new skills, taking on new careers, and escaping bad situations. The proof you can do hard things is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself.