Reduce Friction

If you're having trouble concentrating on something, you can try to focus harder. But you might find it easier to change your environment so that there are fewer distractions.

If your floors are often muddy, you can clean them more often. Or you can simply take your shoes off at the door whenever you get home.

And if someone can't hear you, you could yell louder. But if you move closer, they might be able to hear you without you having to increase your effort.

Our instinct when we run into difficulty is often to simply push harder. But if we work instead to remove the friction in our path, we can accomplish our goals without increasing our effort.

Competitive swimmers understand this principle. The swimmer who wins the race isn't necessarily the one who moved their arms the fastest. It's the person who swam the most efficiently.

This is approach to life isn't just easier. It's also the most sustainable in the long run.

See also: Stop Pedaling