Recently as a family, we each set a goal to do something hard. My son, who at the time of this writing is 6 years old, decided he wanted to do a hard hike. The hike we chose together was a little over one mile (one way) with an elevation gain of over 1,000 feet. That type of elevation gain in such a short distance is difficult for an adult – and my boy was a champ.
About half way up the mountain he said something that caught me by surprise.
“Dad, if we could teleport to the top of the mountain, it wouldn’t be any fun. It is fun to hike”
6-year old son
I thought back to my 6-year old self and I am 1,000% sure I would have preferred teleportation to the arduous work of a steep climb. What I learned from my son that day was the importance of enjoying the work. The reward is only a reward when you put in the work to achieve it. Receiving something without the work does not fill the soul. There is great wisdom in my son’s words. I aspire to live those words and enjoy the work to be able to appreciate the reward.
It is hard to do hard things. Write down a goal that will stretch you over the next 3 weeks. Create a plan to achieve that goal and put in the work. After it is done, you like my son, will find it was better to do the work than “teleport” to the reward.
