Do hard things pt. 1

Today is November 22, and I am feeling good. Tomorrow, I head out on vacation, where I will temporarily press pause on my professional pursuits, spend time with family and enjoy the holiday. But just four weeks ago, on October 25, I was feeling a very different kind of energy—overwhelm.

Looking at my calendar, I realized I had only four weeks to complete several deliverables, including a memo recommending policy changes and specific amendments to a statute. Woah. I had never tackled something like that before, and it felt daunting.

That feeling of "daunting" isn’t new to me, though. I often find myself willingly stepping into challenging situations. And without fail, at the onset of those challenges, I feel overwhelmed. Yet, almost every time I reach the other side, I realize it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.

Today, I’m on the other side again. I’ve proved to myself, yet again, that I can do hard things.

This has been a recurring theme in my life. Back in my collegiate soccer days, it was those grueling workouts. In grad school, it was assignments and exams that felt impossible. Over time, I’ve started to recognize that tackling hard things is like building a muscle. If you avoid it, the strain feels unbearable. But if you keep taking on challenges, you build the strength to push through.

I remind myself of this often—especially when I’m at the start of something hard. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, I tell myself. Just keep moving. Keep making small progress. Before you know it, you’ll be standing on the other side of what once seemed impossible.

Today, I’m standing on the other side of something hard, and I’m proud. I pushed through, yet again.