I have heard and used the phrase “It’s Hard” or “It’s Too Hard”. But what exactly does this mean? 

1) I Don’t Want to Do It: This homework assignment is hard. Doing the dishes is hard. Cleaning my room is hard. I would say that the real message is that you don’t want to do your homework, the dishes, or cleaning. It’s more of a way of procrastinating (I know because I’ve used this multiple times). The task at hand isn’t really hard, it’s more of a nuisance, and you’d rather not do it.

2) I Don’t Know Anything About It: Spanish is hard. Math is hard. Life is hard. When you don’t know Spanish, you will think it’s hard (though some may just say it’s easy and then never attempt to learn). So many of my classmates find math to be hard. I can relate to them in the sense that I find history and language arts to be hard. The main reason for me was that I did not develop a foundation, so much of the “common sense” knowledge was not so common when it came to me. And of course, I hear lots of people say life is hard. I could agree with this statement because life is going to be a constant grind. And I believe that is the point. Pushing yourself to be better every single day is the hard AND fulfilling part of life. Once you come to terms with the hard work part, you can start to enjoy the “hard” parts of life.

3) It Takes a Lot of Time: Becoming a millionaire is hard. Running a marathon is hard. Overcoming an injury is hard. These things take a lot of time and energy. It is hard because it’s not a quick fix. It’s not lemme do this real quick. No. This takes patience. This takes stamina. This takes emotional toughness. This takes grit. Many of the successful people in their respective areas are successful because of the perseverance. They were able to go on the road less traveled, the less desired path, the more tumultuous journey, because they knew that if they made it through, the destination would make it all worth it. Keep your eyes set on the long-term.

4) It Would Be Hard For Others: Basketball is hard. Chinese is hard. Writing is hard. Though these are not too hard for me now, I could definitely understand that it would be hard for those who are beginners or have tried to learn. I can remember when dribbling with my left hand was difficult. I can remember struggling with reading and writing in Chinese (which I still do). I can very recently remember how bad I was at writing. As I stated before, I know these things take time, and therefore are hard. It is especially hard in the beginning, but you will reap the benefits if you push through the hardships.

5) It’s Not For Me: Scientific research is hard. Gathering historical data is hard. Skating is hard. I’m sure if I were more interested in these subjects and pursued them, I would eventually find it relatively easy. But for the time being, these are just not for me. I’d rather focus on an area where I can make a bigger impact and that I enjoy much more. That is what makes everyone unique. They do something that others find hard.