It is the season of shortcuts. Everyone wants to improve themselves and nobody has the time or inclination to do it the slow way. My Instagram feed is riddled with snake oil salesmen promising me get rich-quick schemes and fast-track belly eradication programmes.
These life hacks are appealing. But, of course, they are all bollocks. Some might work in the short-term. It is possible to get rich quickly by placing a large bet that comes in. It is possible to lose weight relatively quickly by simply starving yourself. But these are not sustainable ways of living. Eventually, you will return to your starting position. Often, you will end up even worse off.
- How running with my son taught me that life really isn’t a race
- There’s no shame in being skint. Talking about money worries will free you
- I was walking my cockapoo when I saw a man taking a shit in our street. This is what it taught me
Everyone understands this, deep down. Even if you click the link on the ad, input your email address and sign up for the free trial, you are aware, deep inside your soul, that you are wasting your time. You are indulging yourself in a fantasy whereby meaningful, lasting, positive change can be easily achieved.
It’s nice to indulge in fantasies sometimes. But if these shortcuts and life hacks were possible, everyone would be at it and our struggles with money, health and bad habits would be gone. The reason so many of us start each year trying to figure out ways of solving these perennial conundrums is because they are so bloody difficult to solve.
Take drinking. I tried and failed to cut down on my booze intake every single January for about 20 years. It was only when I accepted that it would be very difficult that I was able to give up for good. I accepted that drinking was such a big part of my life that cutting down would be a huge task that demanded all of my attention. I realised that moderation was an unrealistic aim for me and so I ploughed all of my effort, my will, my focus and time into quitting booze for good.
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