I remember when I was still in high school, one of my least favorite subjects is algebra. Man, all those complex calculations, and lengthy equation give me a headache just thinking about it. Luckily for me, I was seated next to a classmate who was very good at it.
So I came up with a plan. I befriended him. Whenever recess time came, I would go down to the canteen to buy myself some snacks and share it with him. In return, I get to copy all his answers from our math assignments and exams. Smart me, I thought to myself at that time!
Then, a few years later, when I got to college, one of our subjects during my first year was, lo and behold, algebra! Again! Easy, I thought to myself! I'll just replicate what I did in high school! I'll just find someone in the class who's good at this, befriend him, buy him some snacks, copy his answers, rinse and repeat!
Man oh man, was I wrong! Not only were my classmates very ungenerous with sharing their answers with me, but unlike my friend from high school, they don't take the act of bribing them with snacks too kindly.
That's when it hit me. Taking shortcuts in life has its consequences. If I had studied and learned about algebra during my time in high school, I wouldn't have been in that predicament in college.
People love taking shortcuts in life. It's convenient. There's no hassle. It's easy. But it also comes with a price. A price you may have to pay down the road when you least expect it.
Leaving everything to chance and fate
I've seen a lot of people do this. Living their lives without any clear goals and direction in mind. It's as if they're expecting that someday some supernatural being will intervene and tell them what they should be doing with their lives and point them in the right direction.
Well, I hate to break it down to you but stuff like that only happens in the movies. NO ONE is going to come and tell you what you should do in your life okay? What you should be doing instead is to take time to think and figure out what you truly want in life.
Yes, it's convenient to live your life on "auto-pilot mode" and not have to think about what your future will look like and just leave it all to fate. But as I said earlier, that only happens in the movies so if you're not living your life today that gives you the best chance of finding success in the future, I suggest you start changing the course of your life now.
Always taking the easiest route possible
Remember, there's no shortcut to success. A lot of the people who are rich and successful now have put in the hard work necessary for one to succeed. And they've overcome challenges and problems along the way too.
These people are no different than you and I. But what separates them from ordinary people is their ability to handle problems and deal with it. While the ordinary people would rather quit and take the easy way out when faced with an obstacle, successful people embrace and accept them as part of the package to finding success.
So the next time you find yourself trying to take the easy way out whenever you're faced with a problem, just remember this wonderful quote by Frank A. Clark:
Settling because it's easy and convenient
I know of a friend who works for a company. All he does every day is come to the office, work on some boring paperwork, a little typing here and there with his computer, watch some silly videos on Youtube to pass the time, and get off from work.
I asked him if he doesn't find his work rather monotonous, and his answer surprised me:
"Yeah, it's boring. But I get to watch lots of Youtube videos and Facebook as I have lots of free time. I get to chitchat a lot with my officemates as they also don't have much to do. And to top it off, my work is super easy."
Never settle for a job or career just because it's easy. Like I said before, taking the easy way out is convenient but it also comes with a price. And the price you pay is you being stagnant career-wise. Not being able to continue developing your skills and updating your knowledge that is necessary to stay competitive in the corporate world will definitely bite you in the ass in the future, don't you agree?
So, if you find yourself currently in a dead-end job, do yourself a favor and look for a job that challenges you and which gives you a good chance of career advancement. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later for it.
Now my question to you is:
Are you the type of person who's always taking "shortcuts" in your life? If so, can you share what those are?
I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
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