🎉 Opening Ceremony 🎉
"Work harder than you think you did yesterday."
—Alex Elle
︖ Probing Question ⸮
How hard did you work yesterday (literally or proverbially)?
🧠 Trivia Question 🧠
How many movies has Denzel Washington been in? Answer
📙 Word of the Week 📙
Tenacious - persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired (source: Merriam-Webster)
🎙️ Main Event 🎙️
Do something hard. Why? Doing hard things is how we prove to ourselves that we can do anything we set our mind to. We’re leaning into the growth mindset, establishing clear direction on what we want to pursue and going for it. It will be hard and we’ll be better for it.
Quick explainer from Angela Duckworth
Do something hard
You can’t quit in the middle
You get to choose
Day 1
Brainstorm - go person by person and think of at least 5 ideas that would be hard for that person. Remember: they get to choose.
Here’s 9 ideas of dimensions that most humans would benefit from applying themselves in:
Physical fitness
Learn a new skill
Volunteer
Digital detox
Public speaking
Financial discipline
Conquer a fear
Daily gratitude
Academic or personal study challenge
Keep in mind it’s not a ‘Do something new’ challenge. If you’re already working hard at something, identify that and keep going!
Sometime later in the week
Write an encouraging note to everyone reminding them that their worth isn’t tied to their success in achieving something hard. Emphasize Rule #3 - ‘You get to choose’
Day 7
Commitment ceremony. Announce your commitment publicly to the family. Lift one another up and celebrate the beginning of the journey.
🎶 Closing Ceremony 🎶
🪞 Reflections 🪞
Taking the week to go through the process of brainstorming, filtering, and then committing is crucial. In the past, my family tried to cram it all into one session, but some of us (myself and one of my sons, especially) tend to get overly enthusiastic and aim too high. Jordan Peterson offers great advice: aim up, but aim low. You are the only person worth comparing yourself to—your own strengths, weaknesses, and unique circumstances are the true measure.
When you aim too high, you’re more likely to face discouragement. It's about steady progress, not overwhelming goals.
🧐 Variations / FAQ 🧐
What if we don’t like doing hard things?
This isn’t the substack you’re looking for.
How is this different from setting goals?
Goals are a fantastic tool but have a tendency to overemphasize outcomes - win a race, win a championship - goals often have elements beyond your control. ‘Do Something Hard’ is about the process. Hard work pays dividends. It’s not always the result you want but the personal transformation that occurs is worth it.