It started with a run. Freezing cold, snow blowing sideways, not a soul in sight. No footprints. No one out here. Just me. That’s when the phrase first hit: “I wish it was harder.”

Not because it wasn’t already uncomfortable, it was. But because something in that moment clicked. If this is hard, then harder must make me better. I thought, I wish my pants were on fire. I wish it was 20 below. I wish I had one leg. I wish terrorists were chasing me, because then I could really show what I’m made of.

And that’s the entire mindset behind Wish It Was Harder.

This isn’t about being reckless or masochistic. It’s about turning your back on comfort and leaning into resistance, because resistance is where transformation begins. Whether it’s training, building, working, parenting, leading, when you choose the hard way, you sharpen your edge. You forge grit. You build resilience.

And science backs it up. Researchers have found that voluntary discomfort and challenge, cold exposure, endurance workouts, high-stakes stressors — can trigger mental toughness, dopamine regulation, and even neuroplastic growth. In short: hard things change your brain and your body. They make you stronger. But only if you step into them.

“Wish It Was Harder” is a war cry for people who don’t make excuses. It’s a reminder that you’re not out here for easy. You’re here to get better.
At your job.
In your family.
In your mind.
In your body.

And if you’re standing in the storm with your shoes soaked and your lungs burning, and you catch yourself saying “this sucks” — say one more thing right after:
“Good. I wish it was harder.”