How I Tricked My Brain Into Loving Hard Things

 For most of my life, I avoided hard things. Waking up early? 

No thanks. Going to the gym? Maybe tomorrow. Starting something new that might make me fail? Definitely not today.

But one day, I got tired of the excuses. I saw successful people talking about how they love discomfort, how they chase challenges, and how discipline gave them freedom. At first, it all sounded like nonsense. 

But I was curious could I train my brain to like hard things too? The answer surprised me. Yes, I could. And it changed everything.

how I hacked my brain to start loving hard things and how you can too.

1. Start Tiny: Train Like a Beginner

The first thing I realized was that I had set the bar way too high.

I thought I needed to run 5 miles to “count” as a runner or meditate for 30 minutes to call it a habit. But that kind of pressure kept me frozen.

So I flipped the script. I told myself I only had to do one push-up, write one sentence, or read one page. That’s it.

Funny thing? I usually ended up doing more. But even if I didn’t, I still showed up. And over time, the consistency rewired how I saw myself.

I wasn’t “lazy” anymore I was someone who does hard things even if it’s just for one minute a day.

2. Gamify the Pain

My brain loves rewards so I gave it some.

I started using simple tricks: I’d put an “X” on a calendar every day I completed a habit. Seeing a chain made me not want to break it.

I also gave myself small rewards like a favorite podcast during a workout or a nice coffee after writing. These little wins told my brain, “Hey, doing hard stuff feels good.”

Eventually, the reward became internal. Finishing something tough gave me a high. I started craving that feeling.

3. Reframe the Struggle

Here’s a big one: I stopped seeing struggle as failure. I started seeing it as progress.

At first, my brain would panic: “This is hard! You’re not good at this! Quit!”

Now, I respond differently: “Of course it’s hard. That means I’m growing.

This mindset shift made a huge difference. Suddenly, being uncomfortable wasn’t a red flag it was a green light. Pain became part of the process, not something to run from.

4. Identity First, Action Second

I started telling myself, “I’m the kind of person who does hard things.”

Even when I didn’t feel like it. Especially then.

Instead of saying “I have to work out,” I said, “I’m someone who takes care of their body.”

Instead of “I have to write,” I said, “I’m a writer.”

When you identify with the kind of person you want to be, your actions start to follow.

It’s not fake it’s training. Just like an actor stepping into a role, you eventually become the part.

5. Make It Social

Let’s be real doing hard things alone is tough.

So I started sharing my goals with friends, joining small accountability groups, and even posting updates on social media.

It wasn’t about showing off, it was about staying honest. I was way more likely to stick with a tough habit if someone was watching.

And when someone else was going through the same challenge, it felt less lonely.

The journey became something we could laugh about, struggle through, and celebrate together.

6. The Magic of “Just One More”

Whenever I wanted to quit, I’d whisper, “Just one more.”

One more minute of running. One more page of reading. One more push-up.

This little phrase tricked my brain into continuing—because it didn’t sound overwhelming. It was manageable. Often, I’d end up doing way more than I expected.

But even if I stopped after that one more. I still moved forward.

Progress is progress.

7. Track Backward, Not Forward

Instead of obsessing over where I wanted to be, I started looking back at how far I had come.

Three months ago, I couldn’t run a mile. Now I can do three.

A year ago, I was afraid to post online. Now I’m sharing ideas every week.

This backward tracking built confidence. It reminded me that hard things get easier with time and that my past self would be amazed by what I can do now.

Final Thoughts: You’re Capable of More Than You Think

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m just not disciplined” or “I’m too lazy,” let me say this clearly:

You’re not broken. Your brain just needs practice.

Loving hard things isn’t about being superhuman. It’s about rewiring the way you think about discomfort, failure, and effort.

June 18, 2025 Tags : brain power

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