If someone offered you a magic pill that you would keep you in shape without exercise, would you take it?
It may sound good in theory, but if you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you wouldn’t take it. Or at least not for long.
Here’s the big question to ask yourself: if you wouldn’t take it, why not?
If you could have the results you want — in your body, your business, your relationships, or any other part of life — without the efforts, the struggle, and the hard work, why wouldn’t you jump at the chance?
Sometimes it’s as simple as ego: when you had to overcome a hard struggle to get to the result you desired, it can make you feel stronger or smarter. This is often the reason why we can overcomplicate simple things.
But that’s not the only reason we do this. Here are 3 reasons why the “magic pill” option fails to hold our interest.
(1) Love of Process
Whether it’s exercise, building a business, or anything else, the process isn’t only about the reward. In fact, if you want to sustain the process, it can’t be only about the reward. The truth is that sometimes you can put in the hard work and not get the results you desire.
If you exercise consistently, you do it also because you love the process — at least on some level. You like the feeling of moving your body, you like to feel sweaty, you like feeling like you pushed yourself to your edge.
When I ask people why they like hot yoga, the most common answer is that they like feeling like they “sweat it out.” They believe this indicates that they got a “good workout” — even though sweating is not an indication of anything other than your body is releasing heat. If you sit in a hot yoga room for long enough, you’ll sweat even if you don’t move.
The same holds true for anything else you do.
The real purpose of any goal is to give you the direction for your journey. It’s not the result that shapes you; it’s the process of getting there.
(2) Cultural Conditioning
Here’s where I need to offer the disclaimer that I am writing from the perspective of an American — because not all countries have this culture.
From its inception, American culture has been based on a Puritanical work ethic. We are conditioned to believe that we must work hard and “pay our dues” to “earn” our results.
If you want proof, just go someplace where you have to wait in a long line to get in. Then watch the reaction of the crowd as someone comes and gets moved up to the front or let in without having waited in line. You’ll hear grumblings of “why did they get special treatment?” or “that’s not fair.”
There’s a guilt complex that can arise if we get results without having to do all the hard work. Nobody wants to be perceived as “lazy” with all the stigma that carries.
(3) Dopamine
This is especially relevant for people who have ADHD or other low-dopamine neurodivergent conditions, but it also applies to neuro-typical people:
The struggle produces dopamine. Dopamine is brain’s chemical responsible for motivation, mood, and focus. When we have ample supplies of dopamine, we can focus more easily, and we are more motivated to do our tasks.
The struggle to find solutions, the battle to overcome obstacles, testing of your limits, fighting it out, perfectionism — all of these activities produce dopamine and trigger the brain’s reward center.
That dopamine helps not just in the task at hand, but in other tasks.
For example, my workouts give me dopamine that fuel my ability to focus on my work. When I don’t feel like I’ve pushed myself sufficiently in my workout, it actually becomes harder to focus on cognitive tasks. It’s like my brain doesn’t get plugged in.
The Struggle Isn’t Necessary, But It Might Feel Relevant
Whether in a workout or in other areas, the struggle usually isn’t necessary. The quality of your workout isn’t dependent on whether — or how much — you sweat.
The project won’t be better just because you worked harder to bring it to completion.
That doesn’t mean the struggle isn’t relevant to another part of your journey.
The next time you find yourself caught in the struggle — or caught in the belief that you didn’t “work hard enough” — pause to consider what purpose the struggle is really serving.
Maybe there’s another way to meet that need.
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