Leveling Up Isn’t Supposed to Be Easy (And That’s the Point)

In partnership with

Thought

I was knee-deep in trying to fix something at home—one of those projects that looks simple at first glance but turns into a tangled mess the moment you start. About an hour in, with tools scattered everywhere and my frustration growing, it hit me: Why am I so focused on getting this done fast? What if, instead of racing to the finish line, I just tried to enjoy the process?

Scoop

Life’s filled with these little moments where we hit walls—learning a new skill, dealing with a tricky project at work, or even trying to break a bad habit. The common thread? It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go as planned, when progress seems slow, or when the end goal feels miles away.

But here’s the kicker: if we stop worrying so much about the result and focus on the process, challenges become opportunities to learn—and we start enjoying the journey.

Here are four simple ways to reframe how we approach learning through challenges:

1. Flip Your Mindset: Ask Better Questions

When things go sideways, the knee-jerk reaction is to ask, “Why me?” or “Why is this so hard?” Instead, try flipping the script and ask, “What’s this teaching me?” It’s a simple hack, but it shifts your brain from frustration mode to problem-solving mode. You’re not stuck anymore—you’re learning.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. So next time you’re knee-deep in something challenging, ask questions that make you think, not ones that make you quit.

2. Chunk It Down: Celebrate the Small Wins

We’ve been conditioned to wait until we reach the end to celebrate. Why? It’s ridiculous if you think about it. Every time you push through a tiny challenge, that’s a win. Finished reading one chapter of that book you’ve been avoiding? High-five yourself. Made it through your first awkward Zoom presentation without bombing? Take a moment to appreciate that.

Small, consistent wins compound. Focus on “small changes that create unstoppable momentum.” Stack enough of them, and you’re halfway to your goal before you even realize it.

3. Embrace the Suck: The Learning Curve is Your Friend

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: no one gets good at anything without first being really bad at it. You will fail, and that’s part of the deal. Learning anything new means stumbling, tripping, and looking foolish at first. It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also how growth happens.

You only fail when you stop trying. Every mistake is just one more step toward mastery. So when the process feels overwhelming, remind yourself that struggle is the currency you pay to level up.

On a related note…

It’s funny how the small things—like adjusting our mindset or tweaking our habits—can have such a huge impact. Speaking of small tweaks, if your coffee hasn’t been tasting quite right lately, it might be time to give your machine a little TLC.

Save 20% with code “ACTSAVE20” from this post’s sponsor and get a year’s supply to keep your coffee tasting fresh. Click below to check it out:

Is Your Coffee Tasting Off? It's Time to Descale!

Coffee connoisseurs know the secret to a perfect cup starts with a clean machine. But descaling can seem like a chore, so many put it off until it's too late.

Enter ACTIVE cleaners - Our powerful formulas remove nasty limescale, calcium, and buildup so you can get the most of your coffee-- and even prolong the life of your machine!

Compatible with all coffee brewers from K-Cup & pod machines to standard coffee pots. The best part is you can get 20% off a year's supply today!

Better Tasting Coffee - 20% Off!

4. Detach from the End Game: Play the Long Game

Goals are great, but being obsessed with them? That’s how you burn out. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in “I need to achieve X by Y date” that you forget to live. It’s not about the destination, it’s about who you’re becoming in the process. Letting go of the outcome and focusing on learning means that even if you don’t hit the exact target, you’ll be miles ahead of where you started.

Measuring progress by your output, not the outcome. Focus on getting better every day, and the results will eventually take care of themselves.

Resources

Looking for some extra fuel? Check out Carol Dweck’s TED Talk on the Power of Yet, where she breaks down the importance of shifting to a growth mindset. It’s the perfect reminder that we’re always in the process of learning, not stuck at any one point.

And if you’re ready to take a deeper dive into the process of consistent, incremental progress, James Clear’s Atomic Habits is the go-to. It’s basically the blueprint for how to make tiny improvements that lead to big changes over time.

Or, if you need something more bite-sized, Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek offers a chapter on reframing challenges and hacking your approach to productivity.

Last Word

Here’s the deal: Challenges aren’t a glitch in the system—they are the system. Once you start embracing the process and stop obsessing over the outcome, learning becomes a lot more fun. And in the end, that’s what keeps you moving forward: enjoying the ride.

+1% each day

So, what’s your take? Did today’s post help shift your perspective, even just a tiny bit, on embracing those tough moments? Let me know how it stuck for you!