Simple, Not Easy

Life’s most impactful decisions are not complex or complicated.

Stay in shape, be a good person, spend less than you make, and eat well. These sound simple, but none are easy. They are especially difficult with the pressures of life, compounded by constant consumption.

This is why I aim to focus on simple, not easy actions in life. It’s the path to worthy outcomes.

Exercise every day. It’s never easy to get out and sweat, but even a little strenuous exercise daily compounds over decades into a more enjoyable life (now and later), lower medical costs, and the ability to play with your children and grandchildren.

Respect everyone you meet, be kind, and act generously to others. This is hard, especially with strangers, since we mainly go through our days living in whatever story our mind is playing at any given time. But, the more we do this, the more human and relatable the world around us becomes. We slowly become part of a community fabric that gives and takes from each other, creating meaning and security of our place in the world.

Spend less than you make. The ultimate example of easier said than done. Fighting back all the wants to focus on necessities is a daily knife fight. If you win, the prize can be a life with lower stress and worry because you have enough of a safety net to fall back on. This allows you to say ‘no’ to obligations that have sub-par trade off’s and ‘yes’ to spontaneous opportunities that fall on your path.

Eat well. By well I mean real food, ideally fresh and local (which indirectly means delicious - if you break out of the quick sugar hits of processed items that make you think they taste good). This is rarely the convenient solution but will immediately effect how you feel for the next handful of hours; and overtime can transform the energy levels you have to enjoy each day more fully forever.

Another example that comes up a lot for me, is simply doing hard things. There are countless books* and essays* pushing this message. Why? Maybe it’s more important to hold onto a balance. We need to seek out challenges to compensate for other parts of life that continue to need less effort.

I find myself attracted to this message, longing for difficult, monotonous hikes as I work sitting at my perfectly adjusted desk with endless hot coffee each day.

Here are my over-simplified actions from the “do hard things” theme in my reading:

Push yourself.

Ask yourself of any task in front of you, “What does an excellent job look like?”

Work towards that at the best of your ability.

When it’s hard (mentally or physically) - hold on and keep going. This feels like actually pushing through a wall.

You will be surprised. Twice.

Once when you see how much you were capable of.

Again at how “easy” it felt once you passed the wall.

These surprises build confidence and raise your expectations of what’s possible.

This self-confidence pours fuel on your personal ambition bonfire.

Now, a crucial and powerful balance comes into play.

As you fuel your ambition with past success and future dreams,

live content in the present with gratitude.

Remaining grateful for what you have is a superpower. It allows you to work for future wants while enjoying fruits now.

Keep yourself in check with gratitude every day.

This makes you aware of the great things around you which are easy to ignore as days blur past.

It also helps clarify what you want to keep working towards in the future.

To recap:

Focus
Make it great
Be grateful
Repeat

Simple, but not easy.

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**Referenced:

Clayton DorgeAugust 27, 2022Comment