Stop Looking For Easier Problems

Tough love: you need to get better at doing hard things.

A few years ago, I ran my first marathon. From that day forward, I had zero self‑doubt for all comparable challenges because I’ve done something at least this hard before.

That’s the magic of doing hard things.

So why does this matter? Simple: the gap between where you are in business right now and where you want to go usually involves solving one hard problem.

But the mistake (delusion) most people make is believing there’s an easier way.

So they repeat the same six‑month journey forever.

Month 1: Run into a problem
Month 2: Try to solve it
Month 3: Decide it’s too hard, and start brainstorming “better” alternatives
Month 4: Save money to invest in the new “solution”
Month 5: Pivot to the new path
Month 6: Run into another problem that’s “too hard to solve”
Repeat.

This plays out everywhere - from marketing channels to AI implementation.

Let’s set the record straight. AI hasn’t removed difficulty from our lives or businesses.

It hasn’t magically made “hard” go away.

• Automating complex roles is still hard.
• Acquiring customers predictably, scalably, and cost‑effectively is still hard.
• Managing people is still hard.

So you have two choices: repeat the same six months forever, or learn how to solve problems at a higher rung of difficulty.

Here are a few mental models and tools I use when I hit the wall.

Mental model: You are a professional, damnit.
What do professionals do? They hire coaches, read obsessively, and invest 10+ hours/week in deliberate practice.

Mental model: Rethink “effort” levels.
You say, “this is so hard.” Really? Have you locked yourself in a room for three hours - no phone, no texts, no email - and done nothing but try to solve it? How about three days? A hundred hours? Don’t quit before you’ve actually given the problem a real effort.

Mental model: Valuable Is Expensive.
What’s it worth to solve the problem? You honestly think you can fix it for $20 an hour? 

My biggest breakthroughs this year came from:

1. The highest‑salaried employee I’ve ever hired
2. The most expensive consulting I’ve ever purchased.

Both paid off exponentially. 

All that still matters, in the world of AI or anywhere else, is solving hard problems.

That skill demands patience, endurance, and risk appetite.

AI will keep making more things easy. But your leverage still comes from tackling what stays hard.

So have fun out there. Take the hard problems head first. And stop giving up so damn easily.

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