The harder thing is the right thing

We all know there is no free lunch. We also know that the more we wait to have a hard conversation or address a hard issue, the more challenging it will become later. It’s the classic “pull the bandaid” situation.

This timeless piece of wisdom, though it is so hard to apply in daily and work life, as we get overwhelmed by things to do and people to please.

One thing that I found somewhat working for me is to rely on my gut feeling as a reminder to do the harder thing. While conventional wisdom suggests that we should ignore feeling when we make decisions, recent HBR studies are recognizing it’s value and place even in business.

This is both fascinating and unsurprising: for thousands of years, our species evolved with the ability to feel what’s right and what’s wrong, with a moral compass, which has been developed by multiple generations, including today’s mindfulness movement.

The most important sign, though, that this is the right approach is much closer to home for me: it’s my dad’s, my mum’s, my grandparents’ approach to life. Always do the hard work first, don’t trust shortcuts; the rest will come. This proved to be the real lesson to keep afloat in life and at work.

Thank you for that lesson. I wouldn’t be here today without that.

All views are my own.