From Good to Great: 3 Practices to Overcome Hard

“Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.” - John Dewey

Often, we envision personal improvement as a gentle climb up a ladder, each rung offering a small yet meaningful step forward in our journey toward personal growth. Imagine enhancing ourselves by just 1% every day; though it seems minimal, this effort can astonishingly amplify our abilities over the course of a year, resulting in an improvement of 38x. However, this notion assumes that each incremental improvement requires a straightforward, consistent effort—a set amount of time and energy every day. But in reality, as we advance, we run into the Law of Diminishing Returns where each step forward demands increasingly greater effort.

Law of Diminishing Returns

At first, when improvements seem easier and more frequent, the challenge mostly lies in simply beginning and then being consistent. Once we overcome the inertia, the quick successes at the start can significantly boost our motivation. We then use a variety of strategies to maintain this momentum:

• Leveraging SMART goals helps clarify our intentions and set challenging targets that keep us engaged.

• Using positive affirmations supports our belief in our own abilities, nurturing a mindset geared towards resilience.

• Building a reward system taps into our brain's reward circuits, reinforcing our positive behaviors and upping our motivation.

• Seeking inspiration from others or from content that resonates with us can provide a sustained drive and improve our mental outlook.

However, what happens when progress slows down and each step becomes a struggle? This shift often leads us from the "Good Zone" to "Great Zone", requiring more from us than we might feel ready to give. The main challenge in this phase is the discomfort it brings—this can stir up a dialogue within us which typically sounds something like "this is (or is going to be) uncomfortable and I’d rather do something that is comfortable".

Pushing through this requires more than just a solid grasp of personal leadership principles. Research into the habits of highly successful people reveals three key practices that they often use to overcome the hard:

1. Callusing the Mind - This concept, popularized by David Goggins, widely regarded as one of the most inspiring figures in modern self-improvement, involves building mental resilience through deliberate exposure to discomfort. By consistently facing challenges slightly beyond your comfort zone, you not only increase your tolerance for discomfort but also stimulate neuroplastic changes in the brain. This exposure leads to the formation of new neural connections, enhancing cognitive functions and the brain's capacity to handle new challenges. Embracing this practice trains your brain to be more resilient, turning difficulties into opportunities for growth.

2. Always Doing One More - This practice, made popular by hybrid athlete Nick Bare in his "do one more" slogan that is embraced by millions, is about going beyond our perceived limits by adding just a little extra effort—like an additional workout repetition, another task, or an extra step toward a goal—mirrors Stress Inoculation Training (SIT). By consistently pushing past our comfort zone, we build resilience. This method "inoculates" us against future stressors, making us accustomed to managing discomfort. Over time, it fosters robust perseverance and boosts our confidence, preparing us to tackle life’s challenges more effectively.

3. Stacking Wins - Building on past wins harnesses the power of accumulating small successes, supported by Momentum Theory. Each achievement, however minor, builds momentum that propels us toward larger goals, making subsequent successes easier. David Goggins exemplifies this his "reaching into the cookie jar" concept — using past victories to overcome current challenges. This practice is essential throughout the journey and becomes especially impactful when combined with the other strategies of callusing the mind and always doing one more, helping to sustain progress and achieve significant outcomes.

   
   

The journey to reaching our full potential isn't about dodging the tough moments—it's about embracing them, learning from them, and using them to grow stronger. By practicing techniques like callusing the mind, pushing ourselves to always do one more, and stacking our hard wins, we do more than just achieve our goals. We build a deeper resilience and a genuine sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing we've pushed past our limits. Embrace the hard and uncomfortable, celebrate the small victories, and keep driving upward regardless of steepness of the hill.