Challenge by Choice: Why Doing Hard Things Can Change the World

As I prepare for the start of camp, I feel that familiar swirl of excitement and nerves. There’s always a little anxiety about how it’s going to go—Will everything come together? Will the kids build the HeroValues they need to be their best selves? Will the staff feel supported and be able to help campers experience the magic of camp? Will we make the impact that we are striving for? 

Recently, I was talking to another CEO, someone I deeply respect, who is also working to make a difference in the world. I said something like, “When I think about how hard this all is, I hold on to the fact that I am making a difference.” I told her how grateful I was to have her in my community—someone else who understands what it means to push through the hard times for the sake of something bigger.

She paused and said something that stuck with me: “We are choosing to do the hard things.”

And just like that, I realized—we are living Challenge by Choice.

Stepping Up to Challenges Before Us

At its core, Challenge by Choice is the idea that we each have the power to step up—to say yes to things that stretch us, scare us, and shape us. It’s not about being forced into discomfort. It’s about choosing it. It’s about making the brave decision to lean into growth, knowing that real change rarely happens in the comfort zone.

Whether it’s standing up for someone who’s being treated unfairly, joining a cause that demands a lot of energy, speaking in front of a crowd, or daring to be your true self in a world that doesn’t always make it easy, pushing ourselves past our comfort zone is a choice. A choice to be uncomfortable in the short term in exchange for making a difference in ways that matter deeply.

But the power is in the choice we make to accept the hard challenges even when they come at a cost. Choosing to do hard things means late evenings, lost weekends, and putting everything we have into a mission that’s bigger than ourselves. 

The First Step to Tackling a Challenge: Just Try

When we talk to our heroes in our camps and programs, we don’t ask them to be perfect when taking on challenges. We simply ask them to try. To take one step forward. To raise their hand even when their heart is racing. To lead an activity. To share a story. To organize a clean-up. To show up for their community in a new way.

These are not easy things. But they are world-changing things in their life that propel them toward something greater. A life where their leadership and courage to be kind makes all the difference. Every time someone chooses challenge, they build resilience. They build character. And they send a signal to others: “This is possible. You can do this, too.”

I’ve thought about what would be possible if more of us choose challenge?  I wonder how the world might be different if more of us used our voice, our time, and our energy not just to survive, but to serve—to create, to care, to lead. The Challenge I’m talking about doesn’t have to move mountains. We can challenge ourselves in small ways too. Like starting new and better habits. Or creating new ways of engaging with people, or problems that challenge us. Big or small, choosing challenge means facing fears and making a conscious effort to do the hard stuff.  

I truly believe this type of courage and sacrifice is contagious — it spreads to others, having a ripple effect in our ability to make a positive impact.

So here’s my offering in this moment: Choose challenge. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters.

You never know who you’ll inspire—or how much you’ll grow—when you do.