How to Tackle Hard Things

You don’t want to do it. It’s hard.

You don’t know if you can.

It’s not just hard—it’s too hard. For you.

You’re afraid.

What if you don’t succeed? Fail?

Maybe you’ve been asked to do something that you believe is hard. Or maybe you want to challenge yourself, but the task seems impossible.

Scary.

Once Upon a Time I Did a Hard Thing

We pulled over to the side of the road in South Georgia. My parents, me, and my sister plucked pecans off the ground and filled buckets — my mother’s idea of a fun family activity. I didn’t want to squat and pick anything up off the ground. My flip-flops weren’t protecting my feet from the sandy soil. My thighs ached from the squatting and beads of sweat rolled down my back from the September heat.

I didn’t want to be a part of this family activity my mom planned for the road trip back home from Florida to North Carolina.

Not even the singing Cicadas softened my attitude. I wanted to be back in the air-conditioning and back on the road with the car pointed north, toward home and my friends. Not stuck in the middle of Nowhere, Georgia.

Picking pecans was work. Not the kind of fun I had in mind.

The excursion was nuts to me.

You Need the Guts to Do the Hard Work

Stop telling yourself you can’t. It begins with the mind. First, conquer the fear inside. The adage—mind over matter—is a good mindset, but you don’t have to do it alone. God is waiting for you to ask.

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Philippians 4:13 AMP

How easy is that? Rely on God for strength then believe. Keep believing he’s by your side guiding your decision.

 An Attitude Adjustment is the Next Right Thing

Back to Georgia and the pecans … Instead of sitting in the car with my arms crossed and sulking, I chose to pick the pecans. The benefit for me was getting the task done, heading home to see my friends, and avoiding a confrontation with my parents.

As I plunked the hard shells into the bucket, I realized the difficult part of the task wasn’t picking pecans but straightening up my attitude. I didn’t confess to my mom that I had started to enjoy her little adventure, but she probably knew.

God tells us we can pray about our work, even if it’s working on a bad attitude.

“Trust your work to the Lord, and your plans will work out well.” Proverbs 16:3 NLV

Commit your work to the Lord. Pray about everything in your day. Hard or not.

Search for Wisdom

When we’re tasked with hard jobs, we have a heavenly father whose wisdom we can rely on. He’ll guide you with your decision.

What hard job is looming over you? Should you go back to college? Work on a GED?  Change jobs? Move?

Ask for wisdom so you know that what you’re asking for is God’s will.

If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance]. He is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 AMP

Even if the decision is a no-brainer—maybe you need to add exercise to your daily schedule, quit smoking or stop using drugs. God is going to help you.

“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.” Philippians 4:6 AMP

Now It’s Time to Decide

Did you make up your mind? Are you going to do that hard thing?

Remember, God’s got your back.

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?” Jeremiah 32: 27 AMP

What is hard for us, isn’t hard for God.

After that day in the grove, I decided picking pecans —my new favorite nut—wasn’t so hard.

Don’t Get Crushed

 If you squeeze a pecan shell too tight, you might crack the nut—the meat—inside. Same goes with work. You can work yourself into a frenzy, so be aware of who you’re working for. Trying to impress the boss or doing something that meets your personal expectations—that’s great, but God tells us to work for him.

“Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as ‘something done for the Lord and not for men’.” Colossians 3:23 AMP

Work hard and when it’s tough, remind yourself that you’re working for God, not man, not even yourself.

When that old voice creeps in telling us it’s too hard—DO NOT LISTEN.

Back to my pecan story. I learned the tap root on a pecan tree is ten feet long.

Build a Strong Tap Root

 The tap root on a pecan tree grows as long as ten feet into the ground. The tap root stabilizes the tree and allows the tree to absorb nutrients. Other roots grow from the tap root.

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7 NLT

Like the tap root, spreading out smaller roots, break down a hard job into small chunks.

Dig deep; tackle the hardest job first. And if you’re lacking motivation, give yourself a pep talk. I do a lot of self-talk for day-to-day tasks.

The task before you may not always be enormous. Small tasks loom over us like giants and thwart our progress. I know. Sometimes the hardest task for me is making a phone call.

When were unmotivated to do the hard tasks because it isn’t pleasurable, do a little brain trick. Focus on the future reward. Are you earning a degree? Finishing a marathon? Paying off a debt?

“You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!” Psalm 128:2 MSG

Do What’s Good for You

Pecans are nutritious, filled with antioxidants, and rich in Omega-3 oils.

But you’ve prayed, made the decision, and are now working toward the end. Keep going. Dreading a hard task doesn’t mean you’re lazy.

No one’s here to judge you.

Your hard task might be cleaning the kitchen. Or you might be considering a job change, a move, or you’re in medical school dealing with a demanding schedule.

You might be in college with stacks of books to read and papers to be written. It’s not fun, but in the end, you’ll reap the satisfaction of a job well done.

‘“…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:23 NIV

It All Ends with Pecan Pie

Cracking a bucket full of pecan shells is still a job I don’t relish. But when I’m indulging in a piece of homemade pecan pie, I forget the laborious job of harvesting pecans in the hot, Georgia sun and afterward, the mundane business of cracking pecan shells for hours.

Obviously, I’ve done many things much harder than picking pecans. I’m not afraid of a bucket of pecans anymore. In fact, I plan to stop and gather fresh pecans the next time I drive through Somewhere, Georgia.

 

Are you ready to crack that next hard job? What’s the task you’ve been dreading but need to do? It might be simple like mine—make a reservation for a class at the gym—or it might be huge.

Someday this hard thing will be behind you, and you’ll see the rewards of your labor. There’s always hope for the future. Get up and do the thing and focus on the end reward. Have a piece of pecan pie.

Recap

  1. Change your mindset.
  2. Seek out wisdom.
  3. Make a decision.
  4. Work for God, not for man.
  5. Tap into God’s strength.
  6. Hard work is good for you.
  7. Work with the future in mind.

Harvest Time

To harvest pecans, a machine shakes the tree. Or, like my mother, you can wait for the nuts to fall to the ground. Shake things up. Don’t be scared—you can do it. Go for the hard task before you.

What impossible task do you want to conquer? Is there a little task that slows you down? Tell me about the hard jobs you’ve accomplished.

May it go well for you, my friend.

 

A former teacher turned writer, Terri B. Kelly, is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband plus one sweet pug in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Visit her at www.terribkelly.com or on Facebook.

 

 

 

For more encouragement: Put Your Toe in the Water by Christy Bass Adams

Terri Kelly

A former teacher turned writer, Terri B. Kelly, is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband plus one sweet pug in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Visit her at www.terribkelly.com or on Facebook.

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