Hey friend,
TLDR: President John F. Kennedy once said, “We choose to go to the moon, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.”
When you break it down, life is really just one decision after another.
Some of them are not that important. Like choosing which outfit to wear in the morning (go with that cashmere sweater). While others can alter your entire life trajectory. Like applying to law school (sounds fun 🤩 ).
But how can you know if you are making the “right” choices or not? It’s not always black and white. And often the consequences won’t be evident until later on. Potentially much later.
That’s why you decided to read this. Right? Because you are tired of wandering aimlessly through the woods of life. Blindly making choices on a wing and a prayer. And that doesn’t sit quite right with you.
If that’s not you, no need to continue reading. Sounds like you got it all figured out.
Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I discovered the simple 8-word phrase that will take all the guess work away for the remainder of your days. Sound too good to be true?
Just wait.
I want to share it with you. But first, I need to ask you something:
Is it just me or have we been brainwashed to think life is supposed to be easy?
It seems like every new product markets itself as THE missing link that will make our lives so much easier. And we are tricked to believe that easier always equals better.
But what if that simply isn’t true?
Take a second to think about this - what is the proudest accomplishment of your life?
I am sure there are plenty to choose from you successful reader you.
Got it?
Now consider this - was it an easy choice to do it? Or was it a hard one?
While you replay your accomplishment highlight reel, allow me to indulge you in a quick story.
For me, it was getting accepted into my dream college - UGA (University of Georgia). After not one, not two, not three, but four application attempts. And this was over the course of four years. Those decisions to apply time after time were not easy. Far from it. I applied during my senior year of high school (rejected). I applied after playing one year of college basketball (rejected again). I applied after getting a 4.0 GPA in my sophomore year of college (rejection numero three). And for some strange reason I decided, hmmm this hasn’t been going too well…let’s apply again! I figured the admins had to be getting familiar with the same name popping up. How many Arman Khodadoost’s could there be?
After submitting my fourth application I kind of forgot about it to be honest. Until one sweltering July day in Georgia I received that all too familiar decision letter in the mail (because universitys have a flair for the dramatic and can’t just send an email). I opened it with little hope of reading anything besides those dreadful words that had been seared into my brain, “thanks but no thanks.”
But to my utter disbelief, it said “Congratulations Mr. Khodadoost! We noticed you have sent us four application fees over as many years and because we are tired of crushing your dreams we have decided to go ahead and let you in. Please promptly send your first tuition payment of $10,000!” (slightly paraphrased from memory but pretty accurate).
It would have been way less meaningful if I got accepted after my first application attempt in high school. Who knows? Maybe I wouldn’t have even gone since they didn’t make me work for it (doubtful).
So what’s my point?
You stuck around for the story so it’s phrase time:
“Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.”
Huh?
Read it again. Slowly.
If you always make the easy choice in each moment then it will lead to all kinds of unwanted long-term consequences. For example, it’s EASY to hit snooze on your alarm and sleep for another 45 minutes. And it’s HARD to get out of bed, put on your workout clothes, drive to the gym, and lift heavy weights.
But which choice is the better one?
Option 1 (easy choice): hit snooze and you get to sleep a little longer but you wake up as a fat loser for the rest of your life. AKA hard life.
Option 2 (hard choice): go to the gym and suffer for an hour but then you walk around feeling like a sexy stallion for the rest of your life. AKA easy life.
You with me?
The hard choices suck in the short term. But they lead to a more enjoyable long term. I call it “the more enjoyable long term you”.
The easy choices will give you short term rewards. Drinking that milkshake tastes so good right now. But feeling constipated for the next two days is rough. I call it “the more miserable long term you” (clever, right?)
Take a moment.
What is the last hard choice you made? (I know thinking itself is hard)
Did it make your life better?
Most assuredly.
Who would have thought 8 simple words stringed together in a memorable way could have such an impact on how you live your life moving forward.
And once again, you got them for free. Am I crazy?
Shoutout to Jerzey Gregorek for the insightful phrase that has changed my life. One more time for the friends who just scrolled to the bottom - “Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.”
What’s it gonna be?
P.S. - One hard choice I don’t want you to have to make is - figuring out how to follow along for more like this. All you have to do is type in your email address below and hit “Subscribe”. That should be the easiest choice you make today.