Resisting the easy path

Imagine for a second that we ride our bikes everywhere. We pedal non-stop, all day from home to the office, then to meet friends, even to do the shopping. We love riding because we get where we need to be while keeping our cardio up. The added bonus is that we’re in great physical shape!

Then one day, we get an electric bike. It’s much easier and no pedaling required. We cruise up hills without breaking a sweat, coast through traffic, and best of all, we go faster and save a ton of time. The only downside is that we start to notice that we’re not maintaining our excellent fitness. In fact, perhaps we start to put weight back on.

AI is a bit like that electric bike. It’s a powerful assist, but if we overuse it, we might unknowingly give up the mental muscle we used to rely on. At least that is what some recent research indicates.

In a study from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Tech), researchers found that the more that people used ChatGPT to write essays, the lazier they got. By the end of the study, many had defaulted to copying and pasting with very little original thought. Their creativity was basically on autopilot, and this risked harming cognitive functionality. Essentially, the study found that using AI in certain ways can impact our ability to be able to think critically.

Now, this isn’t an anti-AI rant. AI can be a brilliant tool if we use it to stretch our thinking, not avoid it. But it’s also a reminder that, by taking the easy road, it’s might not be helping us down the line.

Why do we look for the easy path?

Our brains are wired for shortcuts. It’s natural for us to do what we can to conserve energy through what psychologists call “cognitive ease”. This is our brain’s preference for familiar patterns and anything that simply requires less effort. Every time we take the easy way out, we get a tiny motivational signal that nudges us to continue to look for that easy path. Essentially, the brain rewards itself by choosing ease. But that’s also how strength fades if we don’t keep exercising our critical thinking and problem-solving muscles. Simply put, we need to “use it or lose it."

Because what happens if the electric bike breaks down? Or a steep hill appears that the motor simply can’t handle? That’ll be when we need to dig into our reserves and find real strength. But we’ll struggle to do that if we’ve been cruising on auto-pilot for so long.

Resilience works the same way. If we’re not practicing, then we’ll likely be in trouble when the real challenges start. If we push ourselves to practice hard things now, we’ll be much more prepared for when things get really spicy.

That scary pitch, the difficult conversation, the crisis that appears out of nowhere. All of those moments are much more well handled when we’ve done the reps to prepare. That is the day we’ll need that strength we haven’t been training for.

It’s good to do hard things.

Just like the gym, it’s supposed to hurt. It means we’re getting stronger. Resilience is like this - it’s built through resistance. Through having the opportunity to take the easy road and choosing not to.

Here are a few small ways to train ourselves to choose the difficult path:

1. Remember who is in control. Resisting that ice cream or cup of coffee we so desperately crave? There are plenty of physical benefits to these actions, but there is also tremendous mental benefits too. It reminds the body who is in control - we are! And we can avoid the easy and pleasurable options as soon as we decide to. I try to demonstrate this in front of my kids sometimes. I’ll make a big deal about wanting ice cream, and then at the last minute I decide to opt-out, making it clear that I don’t need it. They see that, and of course, they don’t opt out with me (which is not my motive anyway) but at least they see that it’s possible to choose the hard road. It’s also just a simple way I practice discomfort.

2. Take the stairs. Literally and metaphorically. The body cues the mind that, when we purposely (and purposefully) take the challenging option, we’ll be ok doing hard things in the future. To practice this, it requires a simple reframe: it’s not punishment, it’s preparation. At work, it’s doing the thing that scares us a little - putting our hands up for a project we’ve never done before perhaps.

3. Try tech-free (on purpose). I’m a huge fan of tech-free moments. A walk around the lake without the phone. Or a drive to an unfamiliar place without the GPS. Yes, it might risk us getting a little lost, but it also forces us to think more for ourselves. These micro-challenges keep the brain sharp and also prepared if disaster strikes and our phones run out of battery (oh my!). Bonus points if we get lost and then have to ask a stranger for directions (gasp!).

4. Delay. This is a practiced pause. The simple words “not yet” can help us wrestle with the problem ourselves, just for a few mins before outsourcing to AI or Google. We take a breath and remind ourselves that trying matters more than a perfect result because we’re building that cognitive muscle!

It’s not wrong to use tools to make the job easier at times (calculators!), but just remember that discomfort is the gym where resilience is trained. Resilience is built in moments of friction. Saying “no” to the easy option, even just once in a while, is a powerful “yes” we can give ourselves for our future.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carré @ Resilient Minds

PS - nearly 6 in 10 people are struggling with anxiety at work, partly influenced by the impact of AI. If you’re looking for some tools to help mitigate anxiety and reduce stress and burnout, let’s chat about a team workshop or individual training. Just reply here.