Doing It Anyways

"Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength."

— Theodore Roosevelt

We all secretly hope that one day, we’ll wake up with total confidence, free from hesitation, ready to tackle our most important work without doubt or discomfort.

But life never seems to work that way. The things that matter most—the decisions that define us, the work that propels us forward—never comes free. True progress always comes with friction.

That friction can be anything. The discomfort of uncertainty. The weight of other people’s expectations. That whisper of self-doubt.

None of these are signs of failure. But they can be the seeds of failure if you let these doubts dissuade you from doing what needs done.

Most people don’t struggle because they’re unsure what to do. They struggle because they’re waiting to feel ready before they do it. But waiting for readiness is a trap. The truth is, our emotions and our abilities are two separate things, and learning to act despite discomfort is a muscle — one that takes exercising to grow.

Hard Feelings Are Normal

Some things are difficult, and you don’t need to prove your toughness by pretending they’re not. Struggle isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s evidence that you’re engaging in work that matters.

When people avoid difficult tasks, it’s rarely because they’re incapable. It’s because they don’t feel like doing them. And in a world that celebrates authenticity and emotional intelligence, it’s easy to mistake discomfort as a signal to stop.

But while our feelings are real, they’re not always relevant.

You can feel uncertain and still be capable. You can feel resistance and still take action.

Strength isn’t about eliminating hard emotions—it’s about refusing to let them decide your actions.

The best leaders aren’t fearless. They’re just determined to act despite their fear.

People don’t follow leaders because they never feel doubt. They follow them because they refuse to let doubt make their decisions for them.

Separating Action from Emotion

If you wait to feel like doing the hard thing, you’ll be waiting forever. Action isn’t the result of motivation—it’s the cause of it.

This means:

• You don’t need to eliminate resistance before you act.

• You don’t need to be fearless to be brave.

• You don’t need to be ready to begin.

The real skill isn’t in avoiding difficulty but in learning to tolerate it. Resilience isn’t about suffering for the sake of it; it’s about recognizing that hardship is the cost of progress—and paying it anyway.

We live in a time of endless options. More convenience, more ways to opt out of things that feel unpleasant. But meaningful work—the kind that builds character, leadership, and success—will always come with discomfort.

So don’t wait for an easy life that avoids hardship. Instead, build the muscle of showing up anyway. Let the hard feelings exist, but don’t let them drive. And remember: you don’t have to feel like doing it.

You just have to do it anyways.

Good luck out there.

Patrick