Hard Choices Create Ease

A decision-making framework that emphasizes choosing the harder path now leads to better long-term outcomes.

Core Concept

• "Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life" - Jerzy Gregorek
• When faced with tough decisions, people naturally delay or avoid them
• Making the difficult choice immediately leads to better long-term results
• Your brain naturally discounts harder options, making them seem equal to easier ones

Application to Personnel Decisions

• If you think "should I fire this person?" - you probably should
• Key reasoning: You never question keeping exceptional performers
• Important caveat: First ensure the person has:
  • Clear role definition
  • Clear expectations
  • Understanding of what "winning" looks like
  • 2-3 weeks to demonstrate improvement after clarity

Decision Making Process

• When stuck between two choices (A vs B):
  • Recognize your brain puts a "tax" on difficult choices
  • This tax makes hard and easy choices appear equal
  • Simply identify which choice is harder
  • The harder choice is likely the better option
  • Your brain naturally wants to avoid short-term pain
  • Don't let short-term difficulty cloud long-term benefits

Common Pitfalls

• Delaying difficult decisions
• Trying to "make it work" when signs show otherwise
• Allowing fatigue to lead to compromised choices
• Letting short-term comfort override long-term benefits
• Not recognizing when your brain is avoiding difficulty

Key Takeaway

The path to improvement often requires embracing short-term difficulty for long-term gain. When in doubt, choose the harder path.