The Law of Least Effort

It’s about using the law of least effort. I know what you’re thinking, good things come to those who work hard! I completely agree, but I would argue that better things come to those who work hard and work smart.

Historically, humans have a predisposition to prefer minimal activity and effort. This comes back to the days when we actually needed to secure resources to survive and reproduce. Things are different now, but our DNA is not.

The law of least effort is exactly that predisposition, but instead of using it as an excuse to be lazy, we can leverage it to be more efficient.  This is best understood in an example presented in the book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear. You want to eat healthy, but when it comes down to it, taking the extra 10 minutes in the morning is just too much to actually do it. There’s friction. What you can do, is prepare healthy meals in advance, which reduces the friction of acting on the healthy choice and allowing you to easily receive the benefits of that decision.  

The best thing to do is understand what positive choices you want to make, understand what the limiting factor is, and find ways to reduce that friction either by preparing in advance or making intentional choices. Even choosing a gym that is directly on your commute to work instead of 5 minutes out of the way could make a world of difference. It’s all about reducing friction!