The Beauty in Doing Difficult Things

As the Phoenix Suns lost Game 4 of this year's NBA Finals, head coach Monty Williams delivered one of the game's most unforgettable sound bite – everything you want is on the other side of hard.

We might not be a part of an NBA team who's trying to win its first championship or even someone who's trying to overcome an extraordinary physical feat like completing a triathlon, but our seemingly ordinary day-to-day lives are nothing short of situations that tests our mettle.

We live in a world where every innovation aims to make our lives easier and more comfortable, which for the most part brought improvements in our quality of life. However, this type of environment can breed an idea in our mind that anything that's difficult or makes us even a little bit uncomfortable should be avoided at all cost. Thus, making us flabby both physically and mentally.

Sure, it's easier to eat out or have your food delivered than to learn how to cook your own meal. It is also more pleasurable to binge watch a TV series than to spend an excruciating amount of time trying to learn a new skill. And it definitively feels a lot better to sleep in than to wake up early and do some kind of exercise.

But we have to ask ourselves, what would be more rewarding in the long run?

It's A Good Way to Slow Down Time

When there is nothing worth noting happening around us and it seems that we're just going through the motion, it could feel like each day is repetitive and just blurs into the next.

These kinds of days are happening more frequently due to the vast low-friction low-value activities that are available to us. These looks harmless on the surface but when carefully examined, these things ultimately drains the life out of us.

By engaging with difficult activities, our focus and attention are called upon to zoom in. And as you immerse yourself in something difficult, it will make each day unique and more memorable.

It Prepares You For Life's Unfortunate Events

As David Goggins would say – callous your mind. It is with these metaphorical calluses that a strong character is built from. And what better way to earn these than to voluntarily expose ourselves with things that's difficult and to actually love it. What's the worst thing that could happen? The fact is, it's unlikely that you're going to die from it.

These doses of voluntary discomfort prepares us for life's bigger challenges. The important thing is to practice facing these difficult things with both courage and tact. So that when the real challenges and difficulties comes, the ones that will truly alter your life, you will be able to handle it with a steadier frame of mind.