The human brain likes to avoid hard things (as the cognitive miser theory explains). From the beginning of the evolution of Homo sapiens, our brains have been trained to take the path of least resistance. Why?
Because it was necessary for survival. When our ancestors lived in the wild, conserving energy was crucial. They had to hunt, search for food, fight rivals, and escape predators. One wrong move and the result would be death.
Today, the world is much safer. But the human brain hasn’t changed much since those hunter-gatherer days. It’s still stuck in the Stone Age. That’s why, if you don’t resist, the brain chooses the easiest paths to solve problems.
So, you can blame the evolution if you find it hard to get off the couch and go to the gym. Or if you procrastinate on difficult projects. Or if you find yourself doing things like sleeping in, eating junk, scrolling Instagram, making impulse purchases, or binge-watching Breaking Bad.
The problem is these easy things make life harder. They feel good at first, but over time, they lead to boredom, frustration, and regret.
That’s why, if you want to win at life, if you want to achieve anything worthwhile, you need to override your brain’s default setting and do uncomfortable things in the short term.
In fact, doing hard things is one of the most powerful skills you can build. It can make your life exciting, meaningful, and free. It can change everything. Let’s see how.
You Build Willpower
I’ve been waking up at 4 AM almost daily for the last two years. And it’s hard. Some days, I feel a strong urge to go back to bed. But I get up anyway.
So, the first thing I do every day is something that feels uncomfortable. But it does something magical. It makes me super disciplined and productive for the rest of the day. I feel more capable of tackling tasks that need deep focus.
It’s like doing something difficult in the morning builds a positive momentum. It increases my willpower and calms my mind. This makes it easier to stick to my routine, avoid distractions, and get more done.
Now, here’s the cool part: it’s backed by science.
There is this brain region called the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC). The special thing about aMCC is that it gets bigger in size when we do things that we don’t like — resisting cravings, having hard conversations, or learning a new skill.
Studies have found that aMCC is smaller in obese people, larger in athletes, and grows when we do challenging stuff. And when we avoid those challenging stuff, aMCC shrinks.
aMCC is seen to generate willpower and resilience. So, when you do more hard things, it boosts your aMCC, which further increases your ability to stay disciplined and achieve your daily goals. Amazing, right?
“Your aMCC/willpower can grow throughout the lifespan by regularly doing undesired things, that is hard.”
-Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and professor at Stanford School of Medicine
You Grow Like Never Before
It was 2022, the final year of my college. Our campus placement cell was flooded with tempting job offers. Almost all my batch mates went for them, but something inside me said: this isn’t for you.
So, I decided to start my one-person content marketing business. It seemed more interesting.
But once I got into it, I questioned my decision. The first two years were so tough it felt like I was trying to walk in the ocean.
I had no idea what I was doing. Everything was uncertain. I hardly made any money. And almost everyone around me said I was making a mistake.
I felt incapable and worthless. There were days I just sat and cried over my miserable life. To make it even worse, my constant overthinking and stress burnt me out in 2023.
But deep down, I somehow knew I was on the right path. So, I kept learning from others, improving my marketing skills, and trying new ways to find clients.
And slowly, things started to change. As it always does.
Now, I’m so glad I chose this path. I’ve learned real-world skills like writing, marketing, and persuasion. I’ve figured out how to find clients. I understood how to deliver value. And most importantly, I found my purpose.
I’ve not achieved anything big yet. But things are so clear and exciting now. I can work on what I want, when I want, from where I want, and with the people I want. This freedom is priceless.
And it all happened because I took the difficult path three years ago!
Growth is painful. It comes from doing hard things, going into the unknown, and facing situations you don’t know how to handle. Often, it means doing the exact opposite of what everyone around you is doing.
“If two equally difficult paths, choose the one more painful in the short term.”
— Naval Ravikant, entrepreneur and investor
You Rise Above Who You Were
As we saw earlier, the human brain loves comfort. So, it keeps feeding us lies like:
You can’t do this. You’ll fail. You’ll lose money. People will laugh at you. You’ll die. Why don’t we watch Friends? Let’s find out if Ross ever marries Rachel.
Once you push past these fears and do it anyway, you realize what’s possible.
For instance, when I started meditating, I found sitting still uncomfortable. My mind was restless. Random thoughts attacked me from everywhere. I kept shifting my body and struggled to sit for even five minutes.
But one day, I resolved to do it anyway. I decided I wouldn’t move. My lower back ached. My legs went numb. My hips felt stiff. A part of me feared I would somehow explode.
After what felt like decades of discomfort, I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the stopwatch: 20 minutes.
I can do this! Without exploding. It’s a win.
So I kept doing it every day. And now, meditation has become a routine task. I can sit for 40–50 minutes effortlessly. In fact, I’ve started to enjoy it.
Most of the things that seem impossible are actually not. It’s just our brain’s way of keeping us safe and comfortable.
“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
— David Goggins, retired US Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner
You Become Fearless
When I was planning my first solo trip, I was really scared. I was 21, still in college, and had very little money. I was planning to go to Darjeeling, a beautiful hill station in India.
I had no idea where I’d stay or what I’d eat. I didn’t know anyone there. And I had never been to a hill station before. It was as uncertain as stepping into a dark cave in the jungle.
What if I get mugged? What if I lose my way? What if I get into an accident?
All those stupid thoughts popped into my head. But deep down, I knew this trip would be worth it. So, I ignored my thoughts, packed my bag, and just went.
Guess what? It turned out amazing. I loved the stunning mountain views, peaceful Buddhist culture, and delicious local food (Tibetan momos?). I even met another solo traveler, and we became friends.
Sure, not everything was perfect. I caught a cold (it was chilly there). And I missed a sunrise spot (because I overslept). But still, I would say it was one of the best trips I had.
I remember planning for my next solo trip a year later. Interestingly, there was no fear. No scary thoughts. Or maybe there were, but I didn’t notice them in the excitement. And that was because I had already done it and expanded my comfort zone.
Once you get used to doing hard things, everything else becomes easier. You know you aren’t made of glass, you’ve got what it takes, and you can figure things out. This gives you an unusual level of confidence. And then, you don’t fear anything.
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
— Joseph Campbell, author
You Feel Happier
I’ve tried several things to be happier, like binge-watching TV shows, eating fast food, partying all night, consuming short videos, and avoiding work. But none of them made me truly happy. They just gave me short-term pleasure at the cost of long-term pain.
For instance, I had this habit of scrolling reels on Instagram. I liked the funny memes and entertaining videos it suggested. I laughed a lot. Sometimes, hours would pass without me even realizing it.
But the moment I put my phone down, I didn’t feel good. I regretted wasting my time. I lost focus and started craving that instant pleasure again. And because of that, I couldn’t get any work done. If I kept scrolling, I’d waste more time and feel even worse. And if I stopped, I’d feel restless and unhappy. Either way, it was hard.
Now, take something like running at 5 am. It may be hard to leave your bed. It may not feel good when you’re on the road. But once you’ve done it, you feel a sense of accomplishment. There is this deep satisfaction and joy. And of course, running keeps you fit and boosts your overall well-being.
In fact, an astounding 89% of 8,000 runners said regular running made them happier and improved their mental health in a study by Glasgow Caledonian University.
Hard things give short-term pain but long-term pleasure. And that’s the best kind of pleasure out there. Try not to trade this gold for some random short-term fun that makes your life more miserable. So, here are some of the things you can do today to be truly happy:
- Sleep at 9 pm.
- Write that Medium post.
- Send that cold email.
- Meditate daily.
- Shoot that YouTube video.
- Ask her/him out.
- Learn persuasion.
- Read that book.
- Change your city.
You’ll be far happier than you ever imagined.
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
―Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and author
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