A Challenge Mindset Is Your Greatest Advantage for Success (And Here’s Why)

“Life is hard. Be ready to face hardship. I hope you struggle.”

Not what you expect parents to say to their kids, but my parents knew something many overlook—struggle is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Their approach wasn’t about making life easier for me or sheltering me from hardship; rather teaching me that I’m strong enough to handle it.

It can’t be overstated just how important it was to grow up with a balanced mindset that life isn’t always hard — but it isn't always easy either. 

In South Africa, hardship isn’t just a concept—it’s daily life. There are many layers to that, largely to the lingering effects of Apartheid, but things like economic instability, crime, and a 33% unemployment rate means resilience isn’t a choice; it’s a necessity. That perspective allows me to challenge the mindset of those complaining about “hardships” in the U.S currently. Many of my countrymen would trade hardships in a heartbeat.

And when I say challenge — I’m not dismissing their claims — just giving them perspective.

Life is like an ocean. It may be calm now, but there’s always a wave lurking on the horizon. Some are twenty-foot waves, and every so often a tsunami to shake everything you know. The key realization? You can’t outrun the waves. You can’t turn your back on them, and ignoring them won’t make them disappear.

That’s why developing a challenge mindset has been critical in helping me turn obstacles into opportunities — and I know it can be beneficial for you too.

How To Build A Challenge Mindset

Instead of lectures, they cleverly taught me through action from a young age: break challenges down, practice the hardest way possible, and build confidence through ability.

Did my parents force me to read self-help books or play TED Talks? No. They taught me through action. They taught me how to:

1. Identify the challenge

2. Practice relentlessly

3. Make training harder than the challenge itself

4. Seek guidance, but own the process

Why This Matters Today

In my work with Whole Foods Market, I see firsthand how people react to challenges. Some show up for work once and never return. Others quit before they even start. Ghosting is a problem and I have no doubt correlated with being unable to face the challenge of communicating something difficult to others like, “You know, I found another job but thank you for the offer,” or, "I'm having second thoughts and I just don't think this job is for me." 

Granted, retail isn’t for everyone, but at least give yourself a couple months to evaluate properly. I also understand that outside factors can influence our decisions and are often driven by emotions. 

In one such unfortunate case, a young man's mom was a destructive force in his life. She finally pushed him too far and all he wanted to do was escape Asheville and get away from her — and so he resigned effective immediately. It was extremely uncharacteristic of what I had witnessed. 

He had a phenomenal work ethic and a proactive learner. I have no doubt he’ll get hired elsewhere, but I wonder if he’d have resigned like that with all the information? For example, we could’ve helped him take some time with a leave of absence, helped him find another store to work in Charlotte and transfer, and make use of seven free therapy sessions. He had support from the company, from the store, and from his colleagues around him — and that is rare. You can never overcommunicate in my opinion, don’t ever assume the worst outcome — explore all the options. 

A challenge mindset doesn’t mean enduring toxic environments either—it’s about knowing when to push through and when to walk away with purpose. Growth takes time. It takes patience. And when you develop a challenge mindset, you no longer fall for the illusion that life (or a job) should be easy all the time.

A challenge mindset doesn’t just prepare you for career growth—it helps you navigate real life. Without it, people panic when things don’t go their way. They make impulsive, emotionally-driven decisions instead of assessing the situation.

Why? Because if you haven’t been shown and don’t know about it and built patience to push through discomfort, how could you?

Practical Ways A Challenge Mindset Prepares You For Life’s Curveballs

Challenges aren’t just about extreme physical feats. They happen every day in ways you don’t expect. The following four examples are complex and in no way am I suggesting the outlines will make these experiences “easier” — but in the very least it's a step in the right direction to face these four circumstances and start thinking about how you’d deal with it and mitigate the amount of time spent feeling pain and sorrow. 

1. Losing a Job or Facing Financial Hardship

Most people aren’t financially prepared for job loss. They panic, blame external factors, and scramble. A challenge mindset shifts the focus:

✅ Accept reality quickly – Denial wastes time. Accepting it lets you move forward. 

✅ Assess resources – Instead of drowning in self-pity, look at what you CAN do. 

✅ Adapt and take action – Whether it’s cutting expenses, networking aggressively, or learning a new skill, you take ownership instead of waiting to be rescued.                                      

✅ Humility – Luck, timing, these things are legitimate reasons to accept why you may not be where you want to be right now. Humility helps you do what you need to, so that later on you can do what you want to.

2. Facing a Personal Loss or Trauma

Grief is one of life’s biggest challenges. It can feel overwhelming, but a challenge mindset helps by:

✅ Building resilience beforehand – If you’ve faced tough situations before, you know you’re capable of coming through the pain. 

✅ Finding structure amid chaos – When life falls apart, routines and small actions keep you moving. 

✅ Seeking the right support – Instead of withdrawing, you learn to lean on the right people and resources.

3. Handling Relationship Struggles

Whether it’s friendships, family, or romantic relationships, difficulties arise. A challenge mindset keeps emotions in check:

✅ You don’t run at the first sign of discomfort. 

✅ You recognize growth requires hard conversations. 

✅ You work on yourself first instead of blaming others.

✅ You know when to walk away from truly toxic situations.

4. Facing Unexpected Health Issues

A sudden illness or injury can derail life. But if you’ve built resilience through challenges, you don’t collapse mentally when facing setbacks.

✅ You focus on solutions, not victimhood. 

✅ You have the patience to endure the recovery process. 

✅ You maintain discipline in your healing.

Why Running Towards Challenges Creates Ultimate Freedom

What is my greatest gift from embracing extreme physical challenges? I silenced self-doubt.

By repeatedly proving to myself that I can handle hard things, fear lost its grip. Wouldn’t you like to stop second-guessing yourself? When you embrace challenges you know what happens to that voice inside that says, “You can’t”? It disappears.

That’s why I take on extreme challenges—climbing Table Mountain every day for a year, climbing a 40-story stairwell 40 times, pushing through personal struggles while stuck in NYC during COVID and immigration issues.

These aren’t just physical tests. They’re a blueprint for life. Every challenge teaches the same core lessons:

✅ Discipline – Showing up, even when it’s hard.

✅ Patience – Trusting the process instead of seeking quick fixes.

✅ Gratitude – Appreciating growth through struggle.

✅ Self-awareness – Knowing what you’re truly capable of.

✅ Planning – Breaking down obstacles into manageable steps.

✅ Practice – Honing skills through repetition.

✅ Perseverance – Staying in the fight when things get tough.

✅ A Challenge Mindset – Seeing struggle as a stepping stone, not a roadblock.

✅ A Supportive Community – Surrounding yourself with people who push you forward.

Your Next Step: Start Small, But Start Now

A challenge mindset isn’t about doing extreme feats right away. It’s about shifting your perspective on struggle.

Start small and do something uncomfortable (even once)—a cold shower, public speaking, learning a skill outside your comfort zone, or my personal favorite: choosing a physical challenge to practice everything above. Using the body to test the mind.

Build resilience and see what you’re capable of before life forces you to.

Once you prove to yourself you can conquer one challenge, you have the formula for all of them.

You just have to *act on it.

*After a year away from physical training, I’m stepping back into the fire with a challenge that isn’t too time consuming but still pushes limits and can be done anywhere— David Goggins 4x4x48 on September 27th, 2025—exactly one year after Hurricane Helene tore through my hometown of Asheville.

The Challenge: 🏃‍♂️ 4 miles (6.4 km) — Every 4 hours — for 48 hours

This isn’t just about endurance; it’s about showing up for yourself, proving what you're capable of, and doing something truly difficult. You’re invited to take this on with me.

Why join?

✅ Train with purpose for the next 6 months. 

✅ Turn that internal voice of self-doubt into a warrior’s voice. 

✅ Push through discomfort and build unshakable resilience. 

✅ Strengthen your mindset by doing hard things—when you don’t feel like it. 

✅ Be part of something bigger: Use this challenge as a platform to raise funds for those affected by the storm

Will it be tough? Absolutely.

Will it be worth it? More than you can imagine.

🔥 The time to start preparing is now. Email to sign up: join@andrew365.com

Join the Challenge. Build Resilience. Make an Impact.