When Easy Feels Uncomfortable: Untangling the Belief That Working Harder = Success
April 8, 20265 min · 797 words
Show notes
“What if business feels easy and instead of celebrating it, you feel uncomfortable?” So many of us carry the belief that the harder we work, the more successful we’ll be. We believe that worth equals hours, and that struggle is proof we’ve earned our success. But what if that’s not true? In this episode, I’m unpacking the belief that success has to come from hard work and hustle. I’m even sharing how I’m learning to celebrate ease as a sign of growth and mastery, not something to feel guilty about, and why letting things feel light might actually be the goal. What’s in this episode: [00:30] Why “easy” can feel uncomfortable [01:00] How we tie worth to hours and effort [01:45] The editing example that revealed Lisa’s belief about value [02:20] Why clients don’t care how long editing takes. [03:00] When ease turns into self-sabotage [03:45] Rewriting the story that struggle = success [04:40] Celebrating ease as mastery Ease doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It means you’ve grown into the kind of artist who can create with confidence and flow. For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/
Highlighted moments
“the only problem was my belief that easy couldn't possibly equal valuable”
“sometimes easy is actually the clearest sign of mastery”
“clients don't measure our worth by how long we sit at our desks they care about the way the photos make them feel”
“we pile on extra steps and unnecessary stress because deep down we just don't trust ease”
Transcript
0:00hey friend welcome to the art and soul show i'm your host lisa de jay so a mom a photographer and entrepreneur tune in here for pep talks conversations and advice on photography creativity mindset business life and that messy in between this is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement a kick in the pants and inspiration to pick up your camera this is the art and soul show hello my friend welcome back to the show today i want to talk to
0:32you about something that might make you pause and tilt your head a little what if business feels easy and instead of celebrating it you feel uncomfortable i think so many of us have this deeply rooted belief that the harder we work the more successful we'll be that worth equals hours that success must come with sacrifice through grinding through suffering a little and when things feel light or easy we start to question ourselves did i miss something did i really earn this where this really comes up for me
1:07is in editing i'd have sessions where everything just clicked the baby slept perfectly or the evening was amazing the family was impeccably dressed the light was gorgeous and the family was so into it and relaxed and then images came out nearly perfect in my camera so instead of feeling thrilled i'd feel guilty like i had to spend hours retouching adding more polish to them and basically proving with my time that the gallery was worth
1:40the price my clients were paying now the reality was the photos were already great they just needed a little touch-up the only problem was my belief that easy couldn't possibly equal valuable and here's the thing clients don't measure our worth by how long we sit at our desks they care about the way the photos make them feel they care about the care about the experience the connection the love that we're able to capture so whether i spend five minutes or five hours doesn't change that for him the discomfort was all mine
2:15was rooted in that story that success has to be a struggle so what i've come to realize is that sometimes easy is actually the clearest sign of mastery you've invested years of practice and trial and error you've failed a lot to get to the point where certain things start to feel natural and you build that muscle memory you've trained your eye you've refined your systems and that's why the work is feeling lighter not because it's less valuable but because you've grown into someone who can create with
2:49confidence but here's where it gets tricky when ease feels unfamiliar we sometimes sabotage it we complicate our workflows for no reason we will go back and re-edit galleries that just didn't need it we change our pricing guides for the 10th time we pile on extra steps and unnecessary stress because deep down we just don't trust ease we think if it's this simple i must not be working hard enough and so we just
3:20add that friction just to feel like we earned it making things harder doesn't make them better it just drains your energy it steals your joy and reinforces a cycle where struggle equals success but what if that's not true what if the struggle isn't a requirement at all and what if ease is actually the goal so i want to ask you are you stuck in a belief that things must be a struggle in order to be successful
3:51because if you are you're not alone most of us are carrying that story the shift is realizing that it's just that it's a story it's not the truth so what if you started celebrating ease instead of resisting it what if you notice the sessions that flowed amazingly and said this is the payoff for the years of my practice and what if you let go of the guilt and allowed yourself to actually enjoy the
4:22fact that business can feel lighter because success doesn't have to mean burned out nights late night editing and proving your worth through exhaustion success can just mean joy can mean alignment can mean walking away from your desk early because you nailed it in camera and don't need to punish yourself by making it harder so if easy feels uncomfortable for you right now let that be the reminder you're not failing you're growing you're mastering your craft and maybe just
5:00maybe business gets to be easy my friend thank you so much for joining me today until next time i am sending you so much of my light and love we'll see you next time