“The rules:
(1) know precisely what you want,
(2) determine the cost of what it will take to get it,
(3) don’t bargain over the price.”
–James Clear1
Many people get the first two rules right, but then they bargain over the price. They have a clear goal, and they know the conventional cost of achieving that goal. But then they resist paying the full price. They look for shortcuts, tricks, and hacks. They see what they can get away with. They play it safe. They don’t commit.
Don’t get me wrong, there are strategies that make things easier. Heck, half the time, that’s what this blog is about. But using tools and techniques to succeed isn’t bargaining over the price. It’s just being smart.
In the end, though, no matter how clever you are, you have to do the work:
- If you want to be fit, you have to exercise.
- If you want a fulfilling career, you have to work your way toward the center of the ikigai diagram.
- If you want a business, you have to build it.
- If you want to succeed, you have to risk failing.
When you try to bargain over the price, you’re only fooling yourself. You might pay less, but you’ll get exactly what you pay for. The weight loss shortcut turns out to be unsustainable. The get rich quick scheme falls on its face. The miracle drug turns out to be snake oil. The hesitation to fully commit prevents you from succeeding.
The price of health is discipline.
The price of opportunity is hard work.
The price of having a big “yes” is frequently saying “no.”
The price of love is the risk of loss.
And, ultimately, on the ride of life, pain is the price of admission. You can bargain over the price by numbing yourself with drugs and distractions, but then you get less life in return – less pain, sure, but also less satisfaction, less meaning, and less joy.2
1Clear, James. “3-2-1: On the cost of success, the secret of creative work, and the power of walking.” September 12, 2024.
2Brown, Brené. “The power of vulnerability.” TEDxHouston. June 2010.