How To Make The Hard Things Feel EASIER

You don’t need more will power…

You need less friction.

We tend to talk about willpower like it’s the key to success. As if the reason we aren’t consistent is simply because we aren’t trying hard enough.

As if we could just summon more grit or discipline, and we’d finally start doing what we said we were going to do.

But here’s the truth:

Most people don’t have a willpower problem. But they do have a friction problem.

Friction is anything that makes the healthy choice feel harder than the alternative. And when the healthy choice feels harder, you’re likely to choose it less.

Not because you’re lazy. Not because you’re unmotivated. But because your brain is wired for efficiency, not effort.

So if you constantly find yourself asking, "How do I find more will power?"

Instead, try asking yourself "How do I make the right choice easier to make?"

So what does life with less friction look like?

You prep meals in advance, so dinner doesn’t feel like a crisis. Because if the only options available are “cook a healthy meal from scratch” or “grab takeout while starving," we already know how that ends.

You set out your gym clothes the night before. Because when you're half-asleep and rethinking your morning workout, having that step already taken care of might be the thing that actually gets you out the door this time.

You keep a full water bottle within reach at all times. Because if hydration requires effort, we will inevitably forget to keep

You don’t keep hyper-palatable snacks in visible sight. And we aren't even saying to keep them out of the house (You can do that too if it works for you!), but if they are in the house, keep them somewhere where you aren't always looking at, and/or thinking about them.

You charge your phone on the other side of your room. This causes us to get up as soon as we wake up, and once you are out of bed, you might realize you are ready to start the day.

Reducing friction in your daily routine isn’t about restriction, it's about designing your environment to support your goals instead of constantly sabotaging your efforts and losing trust in yourself.

ACTION ITEM - MINIMIZE FRICTION IN YOUR WEEK

Pick one habit you’re struggling to stay consistent with. Then ask:

• What makes this habit hard right now?

• What’s one thing I could do to make it easier or more automatic?

Here are a few examples to get you started:

STRUGGLE: Going to the gym.
​FRICTION: Driving to the gym and back takes too much time out of my day.
​REDUCE FRICTION: Try incorporating some home workouts during the week, and plan to commute to the gym on weekends or days when you have more flexibility.

STRUGGLE: Mindless snacking at night.
​FRICTION: Snacks are always visible and available.
​REDUCE FRICTION: Eat more whole foods for dinner, keep your triggers out of sight (or out of the house), and have some healthy snacks readily available in case the snacking urge still comes up.

STRUGGLE: Not drinking enough water.
​FRICTION: I get busy during the day and forget, which results in a headache and chronic fatigue.
​REDUCE FRICTION: Set calendar reminders, use a water tracking app, or bring a big bottle everywhere you go.

You can’t expect yourself to make the harder choice over and over and over again - so how can we make the hard choice easier to make?