You Can Do Hard Things-30 Day Hard Challenge

At Prototype Training Systems, we talk a lot about growth — not just physical strength, but mental and emotional resilience.

This past month, 15 members took part in something we called the 30 Day Hard Challenge. The idea was simple but powerful: for 30 days straight, do one hard thing every day.

That “hard thing” could be anything — a tough workout, a difficult conversation, journaling about something uncomfortable, saying “no” when you’d normally say “yes,” or even choosing rest when your instinct is to keep grinding.

It wasn’t about perfection. It was about deliberate discomfort — choosing challenge every single day to build resilience, confidence, and self-awareness.

The Science Behind Doing Hard Things

Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman and David Goggins talked about this on Huberman’s podcast: a part of our brain called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC) — the area responsible for willpower, persistence, and emotional regulation — actually grows when we repeatedly do difficult things, and atrophies when we avoid them.

In other words:

Every time you face something uncomfortable and push through, you’re not just building character — you’re rewiring your brain.

Huberman explains that people who consistently lean into challenge — athletes, disciplined individuals, those who choose discomfort — have a stronger aMCC, which correlates with greater emotional control, motivation, and cognitive resilience as they age.

This aligns with what authors like Michael Easter (The Comfort Crisis) and Steve Magness (Do Hard Things) have written about: that our modern world has made comfort the default, and as a result, many of us have lost touch with the mental toughness that comes from facing adversity.

The antidote?

Intentional, daily discomfort. That’s what this challenge was all about.

What Happened Over 30 Days

Fifteen people said “yes” to doing one hard thing every day.

We used a web-based app to log reflections, share progress, and keep each other accountable. By the end of the 30 days, many participants had completed every single day — earning a Prototype Challenge Coin as a symbol of their commitment.

But the coin wasn’t the goal. It was the byproduct — a tangible reminder of what happens when you consistently choose to lean in instead of opt out.

Here’s what some of our participants had to say:

🧠 “Choosing to take action on something difficult is always rewarding… being part of the challenge helped me acknowledge these efforts and give myself credit for pushing harder than usual. As a result, I’ve established a better health routine, and I’ll be more deliberate in how I handle difficult situations.”

💬 “Forcing yourself to do one hard thing each day mitigates leaving one enormous hard thing until the end with no time to get it done. Small actions and gestures produce big results. ‘Hard things’—it’s more of a mindset and a tool to be present.”

❤️ “I learned that I can do hard things, and not just do them, but do them with intention. Structure creates freedom. Effort doesn’t have to come from pressure; it can come from self-respect. I grew in awareness, self-regulation, and how I care for my body.”

🧘‍♀️ “I found that most of my ‘hard things’ were about allowing myself more grace — rest, meditation, journaling, or navigating tough conversations. I learned those aren’t ‘hard’ anymore — they’re part of taking care of myself and avoiding burnout.”

🔥 “I learned that I’m more capable of staying disciplined than I believed. Once I committed, consistency came down to showing up daily, even when I didn’t feel like it. Small habits started to stick faster than I expected, and I grew in accountability, mental toughness, and presence with my family.”

💡 “This challenge reminded me that sometimes I take on hard things even when it’s not needed. My growth came from learning balance — not just doing hard things for the sake of struggle, but also doing something kind for myself each day. That’s its own kind of hard.”

The Power of Community

Doing hard things alone is tough. Doing them together changes everything.

Throughout the month, the group encouraged each other, shared struggles, and celebrated small wins. That sense of community turned discomfort into connection. It made people feel seen, accountable, and supported — and it gave them permission to define “hard” for themselves.

When we step into discomfort together, we don’t just grow individually — we elevate the entire community.

The Coin, and What It Really Means

At Prototype, the Challenge Coin isn’t a prize. It’s a symbol — of community, perseverance, and growth.

Inspired by military tradition, to us the coin represents:

• Community – We grow stronger together.
• Resilience – You earned it through consistent effort.
• Stewardship – You supported and inspired others.
• Self-Drive – You wanted it.

The coin is never given — it’s earned. And everyone who finished the challenge now holds a piece of that shared story.