We Can Do Hard Things

Have We Ruined Fun? (And the Future of the Pod!)

January 6, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The intense, performance-driven nature of youth sports, exemplified by a recent injury to the host's daughter, highlights how social capital and pressure have corrupted the original intent of fun. 
  • The hosts are shifting the focus of the *We Can Do Hard Things* podcast in 2026 to prioritize quality over quantity, moving to one intentional episode per week, including a new series dedicated to deconstructing societal norms. 
  • The personal and professional journey of creating the podcast has allowed the hosts to heal, enabling them to re-engage with previously intense areas of life, like sports, with a renewed sense of self and trust. 

Segments

Setting the 2026 Scene
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(00:00:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts are addressing the audience at the start of 2026 to outline the future direction of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast.
  • Summary: The episode opens by setting the scene for the audience in the year 2026, although the recording occurred two weeks prior in mid-December. The primary purpose of this initial segment is to circle up and discuss what the coming year will look like for the podcast. This sets the stage for reflecting on the past and announcing future plans.
Daughter’s Soccer Injury
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(00:00:42)
  • Key Takeaway: A recent, painful incident involving the host’s daughter breaking her collarbone during a high school soccer game exposed the intense, often aggressive, and poorly refereed environment of high school sports.
  • Summary: The hosts recount a scary incident where their youngest, a strong D1-bound soccer player, broke her collarbone after being aggressively targeted during a high school game. The intensity of high school sports is contrasted with club soccer, with the hosts noting that lower skill levels and less qualified referees contribute to an ‘out of control’ environment. This event serves as a concrete example of how competitive systems can override the supposed ‘fun’ aspect of youth activities.
Systemic Issues in Sports
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(00:08:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The expectation for parents and players to passively accept unprovoked, dangerous tackles in sports, while condemning similar actions in other contexts, reveals a systemic failure to enforce consequences.
  • Summary: The speaker argues that society suspends reality in sports, expecting participants to be cool with actions that would result in criminal charges off the field. The lack of consequences for coaches who tacitly accept or encourage targeting the best player risks major injury, suggesting that systemic change, not just case-by-case referee calls, is necessary. The daughter’s perspective suggests that intense environments can bring out unexpected, aggressive parts of one’s personality.
Parental Pressure and Social Capital
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(00:13:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The current regime of youth sports is driven by parental desires to live vicariously, prove family worthiness, and accumulate social capital through their children’s achievements.
  • Summary: The intensity observed in sports is attributed directly to parental involvement, where participation becomes a vehicle for parents to demonstrate their own success and status. The hosts suggest that parents should perhaps only attend via remote watch parties, noting that some clubs implement ‘silent Saturdays’ to curb parental behavior. This pressure cooker environment causes parents to look angry or frustrated rather than enjoying the activity their children are participating in.
Podcast Reflection and Gratitude
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(00:16:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts are proud of maintaining creative control over every minute of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast and prioritizing resonant, necessary voices over the most visible ones, even when it meant career-altering consequences.
  • Summary: The hosts celebrate achieving over half a billion plays and winning major podcast awards while remaining fully independent after leaving a network due to political stances, including speaking out on Palestine. They emphasize their commitment to curating content from voices that offer truth and lived experience, rather than defaulting to the easiest or most celebrated guests. This commitment to authenticity is cited as the reason the podcast has been personally healing for the hosts.
Abby’s Re-engagement with Sports
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(00:24:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The healing journey facilitated by the podcast allowed the host to develop self-trust, enabling her to re-enter the highly focused and demanding world of sports without losing her whole self.
  • Summary: The podcast provided the space for the host to heal parts of herself that were underdeveloped due to the singular focus required by her past athletic career. She realized she no longer needs to say yes to everything, contrasting her past need to ‘hold down the fort’ with her current ability to trust herself to remain whole within intense environments. This healing allows her to re-engage with sports, recognizing that women’s sports are inherently political and a fight for existence.
2026 Podcast Structure Changes
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(00:35:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The independent structure allows We Can Do Hard Things to prioritize intentionality, moving to one high-quality weekly episode on Tuesdays to lighten the audience’s load rather than overloading them with content.
  • Summary: The new structure includes one weekly episode on Tuesdays, one monthly personal update, and two re-released, high-quality archived conversations relevant to the current moment. A new monthly show will focus on deconstructing accepted societal norms and terms, such as the origin of ‘carbon footprint’ or ‘Banana Republic,’ connecting historical context to daily life. This shift reflects a desire to avoid contributing to the societal pressure of ‘more and more and more.’
Goals for the Next Chapter
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(00:51:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts are prioritizing analog life, deep personal relationships, and creating good art with good people, aiming for a love that feels both held and free.
  • Summary: The host entering her 50s realized her relationships had become overly business-based and is now craving in-person, analog connections that are not centered on hustle or relevance. The goal for 2026 is to focus on art and relationships, exemplified by current projects like executive producing a musical and working with Billie Jean King. This new phase seeks to achieve the highest form of love: belonging without sacrificing individuality.