Sometimes we mistake effort for value. We seek out the paths of most resistance. We justify that the things worth doing are things you have to work for. The harder you work, the bigger the payoff. And in a lot of circumstances, that’s true.

However, there are plenty of circumstances that are more like putting a square peg in a round hole. There are circumstances where the system can be improved to make the whole thing smoother and more efficient. There are circumstances where tools or technology can make the same outcome a lot faster or easier to reach. Those circumstances are worth improving.

Forcing ourselves into the harder way of doing things doesn’t mean we’re increasing the value of the thing. We aren’t earning points or improving our outcomes just because we reject the easier route.

If something is right for us it should be easy. If it’s the right fit, it should feel easy. If it’s the right business, we should enjoy it and the effort doesn’t feel hard. If we’re physically training, most of it should feel low effort so we build up a strong foundation. You don’t get any more accolades by doing something new with no knowledge and redoing it four times, rather than watching a bunch of videos on YouTube and having a better sense of how to accomplish the task and getting it right the first time.

Finding unnecessary hardship does not accomplish anything better. We learn by doing. Things are hard without adding hardship into our lives when it isn’t necessary.

When you are frustrated by a new and unfamiliar circumstance, think about what it would be like if that thing was easy. How would it go? What would make it easy? Can you get closer to that? If it felt easy, how would you feel about it afterward? Would you still be proud of it? Would you be satisfied? Would you be proud of what you’d learned or how you’d figured it out?

It’s okay to take the easy way. Different seasons of life justify different hardships. Allow some things to be easy. Or at least don’t seek out unnecessary hardship.

If this was easy, what would that look like? Get closer to that.