The Secret to Everything

Wouldn’t that be great? You read this article and figure out the secret and solution to everything? Well, it might be sobering to hear, but I have an idea…

These days, we spent hours online and we are bombarded with ads and call to actions all circulating around one thing: THE solution. The magic button, the ONE THING you have to do in order to rid yourself of excess weight, procrastination, addictions, and even uncontrollable elements such as “how to make everybody fall in love with you”. We live in a society where the quick fix seems everywhere and ever present. But does it exist?

Well, in certain circumstances it might. You will get tired quickly setting up furniture without a power drill. Simple problem – simple solution. For anything else more complex and of value to you, such as your life, your health, your love-life, the solution might be equally complex and require a thorough approach. Many of our everyday “issues” have been with us for months, even years and we have battled them countless times, right? This is not a scientific argumentation but how much sense does it make that you have pondered something over and over again and someone else now has the solution to your problem and it requires zero or minimal effort on your part. It is unlikely I would say. 

Let’s use a very common example – productivity. Many of us are struggling to make the deadline, juggle work and our social lives and follow all those recommendations of regular workout, meditation, etc. Do this, do that, but if you do THIS ONE THING you will be liberated from all your worries. Sounds a bit too good to be true. So why not try an old idea with a new approach? Work. Not hard but smart. When we hear work or hard work even, we tend to get demotivated. It is easy to go into a new year’s resolution and list a million things you want to do. Just start, don’t think about it. Well, I would say there is some truth to that, but instead of overthinking which won’t help you reach your goal, you might still want to consider way to make sure you work smart, not hard.  

Another example might be all too familiar. You gained a few extra pounds over the holidays or while you were stressed at work. Your new year’s resolution or new goal is to go to the gym and work out really hard very often. You imagine yourself at the end of your goal. The sobering realization will come all too quickly when you are on the treadmill in week 4 and you discover that it is hard work.

What to do? Well, I would suggest you start by researching weight loss and find out which body type you are. You might come across a few articles telling you that it is not just workout but also diet. You then go on to find which exercises you might like. Getting a fitness coach who will help you devise a plan and a strategy are also expensive but bound to get your the results you were looking for. The quick fix might be some processed foods in the form of shakes and some silly device promising to slim you down while you watch Netflix. Of course, the latter would be great, but if they worked we would all be using them. 

The downsides if you are chasing that quick-fix are most likely frustration due to false promises, thus a lack of motivation and also a bit of money. Quick fixes rarely come cheap. If  worse when you think about the effect.

In the example above there are 3 solutions. One, the quick fix, not yielding results and costing you money. Two, you try it yourself and work hard, without a plan and guidance or the necessary knowledge and skills. Option three is the true solution (of course only in my opinion) as it requires actual work and dedication, but making it as EFFICIENT as possible. You will get to your goal, but faster and smarter, staying motivated and on track. 

So what is the secret then?

Baby steps. The word is not very motivating, but Usain Bolt also started with baby steps, when he was a baby and when he trained to become an athlete. He has coaches too. He works smart.

Your coach, Philip.