You can do hard things.
Let’s do it together. On the count of 3, and either out loud or in your head, tell yourself “I can do hard things.”
One, two, three: I can do hard things!
I don’t remember how or where I stumbled upon the mantra. Most likely it was suggested to me by Instagram’s algorithm. It’s a phrase in which I wholeheartedly believe.
I first employed it while training for a marathon.
- It’s hard to get up early every single day to run before work.
- It’s hard to get through yet another speed workout.
- It’s hard to get up yet another hill.
- It’s hard to keep going when nothing in your mind or body wants to.
So, whether lying in bed at 4:30 AM, or doubtful that I had another “fast” quarter mile in me, or at the bottom of the steepest hill of the run, I started to tell myself “I can do hard things.”
And you know what? When faced with the situations above, reminding myself that I can do hard things helped me to get way better at:
- Dragging my butt out of bed to hit the pavement before sunrise.
- Finishing a full set of 400-meter repeats.
- Not walking up the hill.
- Going the final mile or two.
Most importantly, I came to believe that I could do hard things.
Ever since, the belief hasn’t only stayed with me in my running, it’s spread to other areas of my life. I’ve often repeated the mantra in both my professional & personal lives. As it did with my running, it has helped me to get through situations upon which I might previously have quit.
What’s this got to do with wellness?
It’s HARD to look out for our own well-being and the well-being of our colleagues!
As individuals, it’s hard to achieve (or come close to achieving) work-life balance. It’s hard to do things like sleep enough, pursue an interest outside the law, not have that extra drink on a Tuesday night, or, take time away – truly away – from work & clients & opposing counsel.
But you can do hard things.
Similarly, it’s hard to muster the courage to ask a colleague if they need help. Or to intervene with a colleague who clearly does.
But you can do hard things.
In closing, I’ll give you a place to start.
Is it hard to stay late at work to finish a project on deadline when doing so will cause you to miss an important personal or family event? Yes.
But I’d wager that nearly everyone reading this post has done so at some point in their legal career. If you have, then, in a sense, you’ve shown you’re capable of doing hard things.
So, over the holiday season, there will come a time when, despite your best efforts to convince yourself otherwise, the work can wait. When that time comes, it will be hard to call it a night, pursue a semblance of work-life balance, and leave the work for tomorrow. But remember: you can do hard things.
As always, let’s be careful out there.
And let’s be kind to ourselves & others, no matter how hard it might be. Because, one last time: one, two, three:
I can do hard things!
P.S. — I’m updating the post to include my most recent “First Day of ______” picture. Here’s Chemo: First Day of Round 3:
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