Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness

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In our everyday lives, we don’t train our minds to respond; we train them to do the opposite—to react.

They learn how to respond by first developing the mental skills to handle whatever it is they’ll face. They exist to put people in situations that simulate the toughest parts of what they might face on the job. Some of us freak out, unleashing a barrage of hate online and in person, disguised as some act of self-righteousness. By willingly facing challenges and embracing discomfort, you can push your boundaries and achieve remarkable things. Magness’ anecdotal advice, especially when they involve marrying ideas from Buddhism as well as self-help and discipline combined with basic biology, provide very reasonable guidance for individuals looking to better their lives, and confront reality on a more sound footing.This book has launched me on a journey to tear down my comfort zone, something I'm both excited and scared about.

On transcending discomfort, Magness details studies that found internal motivation produces stronger perseverance than external rewards, and he encourages leaders to cultivate their followers’ inner drives by offering support and room to grow. The author is a performance expert and an elite coach, and in this book, he is showing us that the old model of toughness that was based on fear and hiding weakness is not the model we should be using anymore. All but two of the 94 soldiers interviewed said they "felt as if they were looking at the world through a fog.It also highlights the significance of consistency and enjoying the journey towards achieving hard things.