Losing weight is simple. Just eat less calories than you burn.
But it’s not easy.
It’s simple to quit smoking. Just don’t buy any cigarettes.
But it’s not easy.
Financial freedom is simple. Just spend less than you make.
But it’s not easy.
Because things are simple, we think they shouldn’t take any work. Our default setting is to do the easy things.
The things in life that have the most value are often simple. But because they’re also hard, we never get started.
Most of us have things we’d love to accomplish with our lives. We want to do something significant that makes a difference. But those things often aren’t easy.
- They require commitment.
- We have to make choices with uncertain outcomes.
- We have to exercise discipline and stay focused on our vision.
That sounds hard. When things are hard, we avoid them.
“Easy” lets us stay in our comfort zone.
It’s kind of like climbing a mountain. When we’re at the bottom looking up, it’s safe. There’s no risk; we can’t fall. We can plan the best route, and study the best mountain climbing techniques.
But there’s only one way to the peak of the mountain:
Up.
It’s really simple. One foot goes in front of the other until we reach the top.
We need to take the first step. Then another, then another.
It’s simple. But it seems like an overwhelming task. The mountain is too big, and we’re paralyzed. How can we make it easy to achieve big goals?
- Goals give us direction and purpose.
- Breaking those goals into manageable steps make them simple.
- Taking single steps makes the process easy.
A year will go by whether you take action or not. Where do you want to be in a year? Either you’ll be at the peak looking down, or at the base looking up.
Maybe it’s time to take the first step.
