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

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I’ll also ask clients I work with, “What makes you uncomfortable? What gives you a little bit of anxiety?” For some, that’s getting up and speaking in front of others. For others, it can be going in and talking to people at the coffee shop, instead of going through the drive through. People have anxiety over all sorts of things. Any time you see that mild anxiety in your life, that’s an opportunity to train that mental muscle. Becoming an expert in interoception requires putting yourself in situations that are difficult and demanding, then trying to tease apart the different signals you’re receiving. Psychologists have found that when we can label our different feelings with an expansive vocabulary, instead of a restricted one, it helps us deal with the sensation. In other words, don’t be like the elementary school kid who says “I am sad,” to describe every negative situation. Expand your vocabulary. for example, the nerves you feel stepping up to compete? Call it your performance adrenaline. when we name something, we exert power and control over it. We are saying, “I know what you are and how to handle you.” In Do Hard Things, Steve Magness dismantles the widely endorsed but damaging suggestion that toughness is about bulldozing your way through difficult situations. Magness' version of toughness—"real toughness"—is more nuanced, forgiving, flexible, and learnable. Real toughness means processing stressors thoughtfully, deliberately, and with vulnerability, rather than superficially and rigidly. Do Hard Things changed how I think about stoicism and strength, both on the sports field and more broadly, and I can't recommend it highly enough." Adam Alter

In Do Hard Things, Steve Magness beautifully and persuasively reimagines our understanding of toughness. This is a must-read for parents and coaches and anyone else looking to prepare for life's biggest challenges." -- Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and Talking to Strangers and host of the Revisionist History podcast As part of an experiment by the University of Wisconsin, two groups of people were subjected to a hot probe placed on the sensitive skin below the wrist. It sounds sadistic, but it was all in the name of science. See, the experiment was designed to measure how we experience pain. And while one group was selected at random, the other group consisted of elite-level meditators. Both groups gave the same rating to the intensity of the pain. But the meditators rated the experience as about three times less unpleasant than the non-meditators. In Do Hard Things, Steve Magness beautifully and persuasively reimagines our understanding of toughness. This is a must-read for parents and coaches and anyone else looking to prepare for life's biggest challenges."— Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliersand Talking to Strangersand host of the Revisionist History podcast Passion is a roller coaster ride that can send us on a sudden, precipitating plunge from the heights of happiness to the depths of despair. This thoughtful, immediately readable book shows how to manage passion so it brings out the best in us rather than the worst in us.“ The book challenges the conventional wisdom on what it means to be tough and resilient in the face of hard things. The author, Steve Magness, is a performance scientist who coaches Olympic athletes and has co-authored several best-selling books on peak performance and passion. He argues that the old model of toughness, which is based on fear, false bravado, and hiding weakness, is not only ineffective but also harmful.Steve Magnessis a world-renowned expert on performance. He is the author of the new book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is the coauthor of Peak Performance. The Passion Paradox, and the author of The Science of Running. Collectively his books have sold more than half a million copies in print, ebook, and audio formats.

Do Hard Things is an incredibly deep and completely new approach that examines why and how people overcome the toughest situations. Explaining different stories in a very entertaining lecture for the readers, Steve Magness, one of the most recognized authors and thinkers in sports science, gives us a master class on how to develop resilience and skills to perform at our best in difficult situations." Traditional toughness says, “forget your psychological needs and just do the work.” The science of toughness says, “satisfy your psychological needs and you’ll work harder than ever.”

Chapter 2: The Power of Mindset

Along with being taught to push through discomfort, we are often told to ignore our feelings. Once again, this runs counter the latest science and the best performers. The world’s best performers are often acute listeners of their inner worlds. They are able to listen to and read their bodies. In psychology this ability is called interoception. And research from the University of California San Diego found that elite athletes have higher levels of interoception. They are able to understand, distinguish, and process the signals their body is sending them. The same researchers found that those individuals who were judged as more resilient, scored higher on tests of interoception. Book Summary: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad is a powerful and thought-provoking book that challenges readers to confront their own internalized racism and white supremacy. The book is divided into…

Steve Magness possesses an incredible range of wisdom and knowledge about the science, psychology and practical sides of sport performance. This book is a master class in how to develop resilience, persistence and confidence under pressure.”

Chapter 5: The Importance of Mental Health

If you are interested in learning more about this book and how it can help you develop resilience in your personal and professional life, read this article for more information and resources on performance science and coaching. Adam Alter, Professor of Marketing and Psychology, New York University Stern School of Business, New York Times Bestselling Author of IRRESISTIBLE and DRUNK TANK PINK