I Can Do Hard Things

This year I took on a daunting goal of racing an IRONMAN triathlon—a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. It had been more than four years since my first IRONMAN, and life’s demands had grown since then. I began to question whether I could manage the required training both physically and mentally, let alone fit it into my schedule.

I had doubts. I constantly added caveats when telling people about it.

“Oh, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it.”

“I might need to drop out.”

“If I do it, I’ll probably be a lot slower than last time.”

The most powerful voice influencing my behavior every single day was the one in my own head.

About halfway through my training, a Ford commercial started airing that featured a quote attributed to Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”

It became my mantra. I realized the biggest limiting factor in accomplishing my goal wasn’t my body or my schedule, it was my mindset. I began making small but intentional shifts to believe in myself. In my “pain cave” workout room, I wrote on a whiteboard:

“I Can Do Hard Things.”

A few weeks later, I made a subtle but meaningful change. I crossed out CAN:

“I DO Hard Things.”

I had already proven, over and over again in my life that I do hard things. It was no longer aspirational. So why would I question my ability to do it again?

As leaders, we carry the great responsibility of orienting ourselves and our teams toward the goal. Some goals are scary big. The mindset we model has a profound impact not only on our own performance, but even more importantly on the belief of those around us.

The next time you set a daunting goal, remember:

Mindset Matters.