The greatest trick your default mind plays on you

Default behavior (impulsive, on-autopilot, resistant) produces average results at best. On a long-enough timeline it’s guaranteed to fail.

People don’t avoid discipline and drift to default because they think it will make things better. They do it, consciously or unconsciously, for two reasons:

1. To avoid the work associated with discipline.
2. Because they believe they can get away with default for a while without paying a price of serious consequence.

Both of those reasons are built on simple misunderstandings we can clear up right now:

1. No one escapes the work. You work hard early or work hard late. You work hard with discipline or work hard because you lacked it. One way or another, you’ll do the work.
2. You never get away with default behavior. There’s always a consequence. Whatever you might get away with in the moment won’t last for long. A price is always paid eventually, even if it’s years later.

Embrace the Chase. Do the work.