As we travel down the road of life, we often encounter forks in the road.

Go left or go right?

Easy or difficult?

Comfortable or uncomfortable?

Convenient or inconvenient?

Known or unknown?

If we are aimless in our pursuit, we tend to make the easier choice.

That said, when we hit a fork in the road, we need to make a choice on which direction to go.

However, these quandaries aren’t always grandiose.

The ones I’m referring to, are quite the opposite.

These decisions are microcosmic and seen thousands of times per day.

• Wake up or hit snooze?

• Snooze again and sleep for another 15 minutes or wake up now and make your bed?

• Jeans or slacks?

• Get morning sunlight or check emails?

• Finish folding clothes or wait until you get home?

• Eat now or wait until lunch?

• Egg or Yogurt?

• Three eggs or five eggs?

• Toast or berries?

• Leave now and beat traffic or wait until the last minute?

• Speed to get to work on time or arrive late?

  *Sirens*

• Pull over or evade the officer…?

  You see, it hasn’t even been 45 minutes into our day and we’ve already had to make over a dozen micro decisions.

While none of these decisions seem life altering, over time, these micro decisions compound.

Each ‘easy’ decision you make takes you further off the path and out of alignment.

Let’s just take the above example. If you would have chosen the ‘more difficult’ route from the start (wake up), you may have been able to leave a bit earlier, beat traffic, and avoid the inevitable speeding ticket.

As you can see, the further you get out of alignment, the more difficult it is to get back on the path to an easy life.

This is also known as death by a thousand cuts…

Over time you may not get the luxury of choice. You simply have to do it.

While most choices don’t lead to such a visceral consequence in the short-term, such as a speeding violation, every choice leads to a consequence, whether it's now or much further down the road...

When looked at individually it’s hard to even call them choices, they are more like trade-offs.

We gain 15 minutes of sleep, but we lose 15 minutes of our morning.

We gain time by not folding our clothes, but we lose ease of mind when we have to do chores after a hard day of work.

Now scale this over weeks, months, and years.

15 minutes here or there might not be a big deal, but 15 minutes everyday for a year is a lot… (15 min x 365 days) = 91.25 hours = 3.81 days

Now take those same 15 minutes and scale them over 10 years = 38 days…

These micro trade-offs might seem irrelevant now, but when extrapolated over time have major consequences, in either a positive or negative direction.

Negative (compounded):

You might save time by not working out now (easy/comfortable/convenient), but you might not be able to meet your grandchildren or be physically capable enough to play with them if you meet them later (difficult/uncomfortable/inconvenient).

Positive (compounded):

You might lose time by grinding in the gym now (difficult/uncomfortable/inconvenient), but you might be able to teach your grandchildren how to play your favorite game and get to experience their joy later (easy/comfortable/convenient).

Negative (compounded):

You might avoid a fight with your significant other by not having a difficult conversation now (easy/comfortable/convenient), but you might end up resenting your partner or being unhappy in your marriage later (difficult/uncomfortable/inconvenient).

Positive (compounded):

You might have an argument by having a difficult conversation now (difficult/uncomfortable/inconvenient), but you might have a stronger relationship built on communication and trust later (easy/comfortable/convenient).

Choosing the path of least resistance may seem easier, but it rarely leads to lasting fulfillment.

Seneca once wrote,

“If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”

In many cases, mastery is the port.

Mastery teaches us to take the road less traveled, to seek out challenges, and to confront them with courage and wisdom. This path ultimately leads to a life that's not only easier but also more meaningful.

In a world that often promotes shortcuts and quick fixes, mastery reminds us that the road to an easier life isn't through avoidance but through embracing hardship as a means of growth and self-discovery. By adopting this mindset, you'll find that life's challenges become stepping stones to a more fulfilling and truly easier existence.

Own the Process,

Tim

Author of Mastery Monday

Student & Founder