You want to build character? Do the boring stuff.
Not the glamorous, look-at-me stuff. The quiet, repetitive, no-one’s-watching stuff.

Because that’s where it all happens.

It’s easy to show up when there’s a crowd.
When you get the applause.
When someone’s going to pat you on the back and say, “Wow, you’re really smashing it.”

But real character? That’s built in the repetition.
In the grind.
In the bit where no one’s clapping.

Marcus Aurelius said it plainly:
​"Just do what you need to do. It’s simple."

He wasn’t talking about huge achievements.
He meant: Get up. Do the work. Be a good human. Every day.

No fanfare. No hashtags. Just consistent, quiet effort.

That’s where most people give up—because it’s boring.

You know what’s not fun?

• Getting up early to get the house in order before the chaos begins
• Packing school lunches when you’re still half-asleep
• Responding to client emails when you’d rather do anything else
• Cleaning the kitchen… again
• Showing patience with your kids when they’re melting down for the third time today
• Going to the gym when you’re tired
• Being kind to your partner when they’re also running on fumes

None of it’s sexy.
None of it gets likes.
But this is the work.

These moments shape you.
This is where integrity is formed.
This is where habits are carved.
This is where you become who you are.

Not in the highlights. In the in-between bits.
​In the boring stuff.

So if you’re in one of those stretches where life feels repetitive and dull—
Good.
You’re in the zone where real growth happens.

Reflection: Where in your life are you showing up quietly, consistently—and not giving yourself enough credit for it?

Forward this to someone who needs a reminder that the grind is the game.

Until next time,

Broden Johnson