The Magic of Doing Hard Things
For writers, perhaps nothing could be more satisfying than having to go through something extraordinarily difficult or downright terrible and then writing about the experience. It’s how we arrive at the most transformative works about the toughest trials in life—illness, injury, death, divorce, loss, career pivots, trauma of some kind, a life-changing event you didn’t see coming, and so on. Life is filled with unforeseen corners, some of them sharper than others. Once we’re around them we get to recover and write about them if we so choose. Hardships are root triggers for great writing. And that writing process can be healing as you process emotions, reset yourself, and forge ahead.
In addition to the unexpected, tragic events and adversities we all encounter, there’s another category of experiences that can also make for spectacular storytelling: choosing to do hard things on purpose.
If you haven’t noticed, “doing hard things” is now a movement that has already spawned bestselling books—from Steve Magness’s Do Hard Things and Michael Easter’s The Comfort Crisis to Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle’s We Can Do Hard Things. These authors promote the value and importance of inviting discomfort because, as the clichéd adage goes, “All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.”
While we tend to gravitate toward the easy endeavors and let the automation of daily life fill the hours, it helps to proactively find hard things to do that build mental toughness, nourish creativity, and provide fodder for new stories. Ideas run the gamut. You don’t have to go to extremes like climbing Mt. Everest or, like I just did, spend five days off the grid fishing at sea, but you can certainly find ways to stretch your limits and challenge yourself to the core. Think about how you can do hard things daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. They don’t have to be costly or distracting to your established responsibilities. You can find time for them as all successful people—and writers—do. Some hard things can become routine while others can be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Here are some examples:
Create a new habit or hobby you wouldn’t normally do.
Commit to moving more, start a strength-training routine, and sign up for a local 10K.
Finally have that difficult conversation with your estranged friend or family member.
Go on an overnight backpacking trip.
Learn to play an instrument, paint, or engage in a recreation like sailing or ice skating.
Take a class in a new language or technology.
Build a garden that requires routine care and maintenance.
Cut out sugar for a month and cook one elaborate dish a week.
Take your next vacation out of the country and volunteer there.
Start outlining the book you’ve always wanted to write.
Take on a project you know will be hard and that most people would run from.
My recent fishing trip had the perfect blend of challenges physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was one I used to take with my late father who introduced me to the sport more than thirty years ago. This trip was exceptionally bittersweet as I finally said goodbye to the toxic grief I’ve harbored over the past decade since his untimely death. You can read about it soon in an essay I’m working on. That’s my creative fodder for some future book I am compelled to write. And that will be a hard thing to do indeed.