This quote is a major truth bomb, one we all need to remember. Hard is inevitable. Most of us operate under the illusion that if we take the easy way out, there will be no consequences. This is most often not the case. Indeed, in areas such as our health and finances, the consequences of poor choices can be devastating.

For me, making the right choice regarding exercise is most challenging. I have all the excuses in the book, but I know that if I don’t get my heart rate up every day (or most days), that I will pay the price in my 60s and beyond. Indeed, as I write this, I am experiencing some lower back issues. Why? Because I usually put off stretching and working on my core.

Teaching has its share of challenges in this regard, as well. For instance, parent outreach is frustrating for a variety of reasons, but I have learned that making the attempt, even if I never make contact, smooths out future interactions with both student and the parent.

Eventually I realized that if I wanted to choose the harder-but-better path, I needed habits that made the choice easier. These practices include reading widely, tracking certain metrics (like what I eat and drink, my weight, my steps, how many minutes I exercise each day), and meditation. Together, these habits help slow down my decision making and provide unvarnished data about how I am doing. Indeed, these three practices alone have provided a huge ROI for me. I know for a fact I’d be worse off without having them in my habit toolkit.

Blogging every day is another example of ‘choosing my hard.’ My posts aren’t long, but I’ve committed to putting something out every day and it isn’t always easy. However, I know that at the end of my blogging journey, I’ll be a better writer, a clearer thinker, and will be able to take pride in doing something I always wanted to do. Hard is inevitable, but when I choose it on purpose, it becomes a path instead of a burden.