Takeaway: We often ask what we want to achieve, but do we ever ask which problems we’d rather deal with?
From author James Clear:
"When you choose the benefits of an action, you also choose the drawbacks.
If you want to be an author, you can't only choose the finished novel and book signings. You are also choosing months of lonely typing. If you want to be a bodybuilder, you can't only choose the fit body and attention. You are also choosing the boring meals and calorie counting.
You have to want the lifestyle, not just the outcomes. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense being jealous. The results of success are usually public and highly visible, but the process behind success is often private and hidden from view. It's easy to want the public rewards, but also have to want the hidden costs."
It reminds me of something entrepreneur Alex Hormozi once said: “Every solution comes with new problems. Sometimes it’s helpful to make decisions based on which problems you’d rather be dealing with.”
I find this an interesting way to shift the perspective on decision making.
Which problems would you rather have?
You want to get in shape, but you also don’t want to wake up early. Instead, ask this:
Would you rather not be physically able to play with your kids or sacrifice an hour of extra sleep to hit the gym?
Would you rather hate how you look in the mirror or put in the effort to cook your own meals?
In life, we often choose the good and the bad.
~ Coach Alex