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Derek Hagen

EASY ISN'T WORTH IT


drawing of trade off between difficulty and benefit

❝Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.❞ -George Lorimer

If you ask most people about the most meaningful experiences in their lives, often they have something to do with overcoming some kind of difficult challenge or adversity. Overcoming adversity is one of the most meaningful experiences we can have because it helps us realize that we can do more than we thought we could. Building our resilience muscle makes us stronger.


However, building our resilience muscle isn't easy, but it shouldn't be easy!


SIMPLE VERSUS EASY


It might be tempting to think that financial health is simple. You might be thinking it sounds too simple. You'd be right. Many very productive systems are quite simple. For example, if you want to quit smoking, the logical advice is to simply not smoke anymore; simple! However, as you've probably surmised, simple things are not always easy to do.


So, simple things aren't always easy, and things that aren't easy can be rewarding, but you might be asking what makes it so difficult to align your use of money with what's important to you.

drawing of trade off between figuring out what you want and intentional living



A grateful person exhibits certain traits. Rather than feeling deprived in life, a grateful person experiences a sense of abundance. A grateful person acknowledges the contributions of others to his/her success and well-being, appreciates life's simple pleasures, and acknowledges the importance of experiencing and expressing gratitude.




IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYONE WOULD DO IT


The answer is that you actually have to sit down and figure it out. That's not always easy. You have to be aware of what you want, and you have to actually articulate it. Write it down. Say it out loud. How many times in your life have you done that? It's incredibly difficult. The reward for doing it is being able to live your life intentionally in a way that you'll be proud of when you reflect back on your life.


I want to make the case that just because it's not easy doesn't mean it's not worth it. Some of your greatest accomplishments were difficult. It's worth it to put in the time.

drawing of your proudest story

Some of your best experiences in life came with overcoming some kind of struggle. If things were too easy, everyone would do it. If everyone did it, it wouldn't be meaningful.


You get one life; live intentionally.


 

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REFERENCES AND INFLUENCES

Ben-Shahar, Tal: Happier, No Matter What Burkeman, Oliver: The Antidote Frankl, Viktor: Yes to Life, In Spite of Everything Gillihan, Seth: Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Haidt, Jonathan: The Happiness Hypothesis Hall, Kindra: Choose Your Story, Change Your Life

Irvine, William: A Slap in the Face Kinder, George: Transforming Suffering into Wisdom Manson, Mark: Everything is Fucked Manson, Mark: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck

Reivich, Karen & Andrew Shatte: The Resilience Factor



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About the Author

Derek Hagen, CFP®, CFA, FBS®, CFT™, CIPM is a Financial Behavior Specialist, Life Planning Consultant, Author, Speaker, and Stick-Figure Illustrator. He simplifies topics about meaningful living, including philosophy, mindfulness, psychology, and money.

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Derek at MQ

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