The Easy Thing About Hard Things
The Easy Thing About Hard Things
All the time we spend working on the easy things is the time we’re not spending on the hard stuff.
All the time we spend working on the easy things is the time we’re not spending on the hard stuff.
The trouble is that no one seems to be able to tell what’s easy and what’s hard.
So let’s be clear . . .
What’s the difference between the hard stuff and the easy stuff?
The Easy Stuff:
Actually building the software app.
Figuring out how to ship from your warehouse to the distributer.
Finding a better way to collect website analytics data.
But wait!
Writing code is hard! How could you possibly say all of this is easy?
Sure, we can all agree that these aren’t easy problems to fix, but let’s not mistake them for the things that will define your success.
Let’s dive into the hard stuff to get a better picture:
There are a million software startups. Building the software isn’t hard. The hard part is getting your app to hit the top 4 in the App Store.
There are million suppliers and distributers. Optimizing transport isn’t hard. The hard part is negotiating desirable shelf space at Walmart or Target.
There are a million ways to collect web traffic data. Finding the right analytics tool isn’t hard. What’s hard is getting face-to-face with customers and putting in the emotional labor of empathizing!
Being your best depends on knowing the difference between the hard stuff and the easy stuff.
The easy thing about hard things is knowing which is which.
Once I tell you how to do it, you’re going to slap yourself at how easy it is.
In fact, you’ve already got a built in “easy vs. hard” detector, I bet you can already guess what it is.
What’s the work you’re avoiding? Why are you avoiding it? Are you afraid of it?
If you’re afraid of it, good. You’ve found the hard work that deserves your focus.
This is the reason so many of us focus on our Instagram “❤️’s” instead of getting our work posted on others’ pages.
It’s easy to hide behind the wall of photos. It’s hard to reach out and connect to a real, live human who could reject us.
It’s these moments that we challenge our character and our willpower. It’s these moments that define who we are and who we’re becoming everyday.
And the cool thing about it is that you don’t have to make a huge announcement or public display to make this happen.
It’s all about small (but relentless) attention to the hard things.
2 MINUTE ACTION:
What’s something hard you’ve been avoiding lately?
Is there an email that you’ve been avoiding?
Should you really just call your Mom back?
How about those blog comments that you want to delete? How can you respond with empathy?
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