You’re Not Lazy — You’re Just Addicted to Easy Wins

By Malik Jordan

Comfort feels productive — until it costs you momentum.

Nobody likes being called lazy.

Lazy feels like a character flaw.
A verdict.
A sentence.

So we defend ourselves.

“I’m burnt out.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I’ve had a lot going on.”

And sometimes — sure — that’s true.

But most of the time, something else is happening.
Something quieter.
Something more uncomfortable to admit.

You’re not lazy.
You’re hooked on easy wins.

The Quiet Addiction Nobody Talks About

Easy wins don’t look like failure.

They look productive.

You answered emails.
You organized your notes.
You watched a video about getting in shape.
You tweaked the plan instead of executing it.
You checked the box that gives you just enough relief to stop feeling guilty.

And your brain rewarded you for it.

A tiny hit of satisfaction.
A false sense of momentum.
Just enough “I did something” to avoid doing the thing that actually matters.

That’s not laziness.
That’s conditioning.

Your nervous system learned a shortcut.

Why Hard Things Feel So Heavy Now

There was a time when effort didn’t feel like this.

You didn’t need hype.
You didn’t need perfect conditions.
You didn’t need a ritual, a playlist, and a motivational quote to begin.

You just started.

But easy wins trained you differently.

They taught your brain to expect:

• Fast feedback

• Immediate relief

• Visible progress now, not later

So when something offers none of that —
no praise,
no instant payoff,
no guarantee —

your system hesitates.

Not because you can’t do it.
Because it doesn’t reward you fast enough.

The Lie That Keeps You Stuck

Here’s the lie nobody calls out:

“If it mattered enough, I’d feel like doing it.”

No.
If it mattered enough, it would scare you.

It would require patience.
It would ask you to work without applause.
It would demand consistency long before confidence shows up.

Easy wins feel good because they cost nothing.
Real progress feels heavy because it costs identity.

You don’t just risk failing.
You risk finding out who you actually are when no one’s watching.

The Moment Everything Changes

Progress doesn’t begin when motivation spikes.

It begins the moment you stop negotiating with yourself.

That moment sounds like:

• “I’m doing this even if it feels flat.”

• “I don’t need proof yet.”

• “This doesn’t have to feel good to be right.”

The people you admire didn’t escape discomfort.
They stopped trying to avoid it.

They learned to recognize the urge for an easy win —
and not obey it.

A Different Definition of Discipline

Discipline isn’t intensity.
It’s tolerance.

Tolerance for boredom.
Tolerance for slow results.
Tolerance for doing the same unsexy thing again tomorrow.

Easy wins make you feel alive for five minutes.
Real work makes you solid for a lifetime.

So no — you’re not lazy.

You’re just standing at a fork in the road.

One path keeps you busy.
The other changes you.

Choose carefully.