A number of years ago, a friend told me about a book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. It is written for teenagers, but the message is just as relevant for adults.
The premise is simple, but powerful: reject mediocrity. Not with hype or unrealistic optimism, but with a sober realization that most of us are capable of far more than we expect from ourselves. More discipline. More responsibility. More leadership. More follow-through.
The book calls it a “rebellion against low expectations.”
That idea stuck with me.
By that point in my life, I had accomplished a number of things I had set out to do. But I had also noticed a pattern. I was a good starter. Not always a great finisher.
I am 54 now, and last year I decided, enough is enough.
I had thought about writing a novel since I was a teenager. I love storytelling. I enjoy deep thinking. And yet, decade after decade, I never actually sat down and did it. At some point, I had to ask myself an uncomfortable question: why?
I could not give myself a satisfying answer.
So I stopped thinking about it and started doing it.
Before writing the manuscript, I built the foundation. A 250-page story bible. A full book outline. A trilogy outline. A high-level overview. By the time I began writing the novel itself, I had a clear sense of where the story was going.
Then I wrote it.
Roughly 110,000 words.
It was not easy. It was slow at times. It required discipline I had not consistently shown in the past. But I enjoyed it far more than I expected. And whether the book is widely read or not, I am deeply glad I did it.
Because I finished it.
In many ways, the process was more than just creative. It was cathartic. Writing forced me to step inside the minds of my characters and ask hard questions. Why would this person say this? Why would they act this way? What are they afraid of? What are they trying to protect?
In doing that, I found myself reflecting on my own life. My own regrets. My own struggles. My own patterns. It turns out that trying to understand fictional people can teach you a lot about real ones.
Including yourself.
So if there is one thing I would say to you, it is this:
Expect more from yourself than you currently do.
Not in a shallow, motivational sense. Not in a “you can do anything” kind of way. But in a grounded, honest way. There are things you are capable of doing that you have simply decided not to pursue. Not because you cannot, but because it would be difficult.
Do one of those things.
And then finish it.
You are more capable than you realize. Do not let anyone, including yourself, convince you otherwise.
“You are more capable than you realize. Do not let anyone, including yourself, convince you otherwise.”
Press on.
The best is yet to come!
Alan D.
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