How to Start Doing Hard Things

Like many people over the pandemic, I discovered the Peloton app. I know, I was late to the Peloton game. But now I get it. #WYKYK! (“When you know, you know”)

Even though I love fitness, I had a hard time motivating myself to stick to a routine during the pandemic. When I discovered the Peloton app, I felt like I found a gold mine. I found accountability and motivation in their challenging programs and peppy coaches.

As I hit play on my workout, even on the days I don’t feel like it, the coach reminds me “the hardest part is done.”

At first this was confusing. “What do you mean the hardest part is done, I haven’t even started working out! I know some hard stuff is about to happen!” But the hardest part is actually showing up. Once you’re there, you’re committed to what will happen and you will handle whatever comes your way.

The hardest part is showing up.

Think about how much emotional and mental drama you have about any challenge you’re facing. The chatter in your brain saying “You can’t do this.” “It’s too hard.” “Why bother? There are other things you could do with your time.”

But have you ever noticed that it all seems to go away once you started? That mental and emotional drama seems to stop once you start doing the thing. Funny, isn’t it? You think it’s going to be so hard to do the thing, but the most resistance and the most difficulty is in getting started.

Now you know that the hardest part isn’t doing the thing, it’s showing up. So, how do you actually do it? Next time you have something you want to do that seems a bit difficult, take a couple minutes and apply these steps:

Step 1. Bring awareness to your resistance. Notice that it’s happening. See if you can eavesdrop on your thoughts and be like an investigative reporter. You don’t have to do anything with them, you just have to notice them.

Step 2. Remind yourself why you want to do the thing. Why are you even trying to do something difficult? Are you working towards a goal? Are you strengthening a relationship, improving your career, building new skills? Ask yourself why it matters (and you know it matters because you wouldn’t make a big deal over it if it didn’t matter).

Step 3. Give yourself an out. Sometimes we start a hard thing and realize that today actually isn’t the day for it. And that’s ok. There are some days when I lace up my shoes and start to run and realize I don’t have it today. I try for five minutes and if I’m still not feeling it, I let myself walk instead. Sometimes it helps to give yourself an exit plan. Can you plan a pause for yourself, an alternative, the ability to say “Can we take a break here and come back to it later?”

Step 4. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to start?” and use that willingness to launch you into your first step. Hit play on the work out, hit send on the email, walk into the office for the meeting. start and trust yourself to handle what comes your way.

Now that you know all the secrets and how to get started, I challenge you to go out there and start. You opened this email and read all the way to the end for a reason. Let this be the nudge you need to do the damn thing.

Go get ‘em.