Why Effort Needs Time
The man who moves mountains begins by carrying small stones. – Confucius
“Human nature is prone to laziness. We gravitate towards what is easy. This is why we tend to circle the parking lot to find the closest spot to the supermarket entrance, choose the elevator over the stairs, or order food delivery instead of cooking,” says neuropsychologist Boris Cheval.
We naturally prefer work that gives quick and satisfying rewards. When the reward is delayed, or when things get difficult, disappointment quickly sets in. And just as quickly, our motivation and enthusiasm begin to fade.
Then the mind starts to bargain. “Why even continue? It’s not worth it. What do I really gain from this? I could get results faster somewhere else. This isn’t fair…” Sound familiar ?
If we give in to these thoughts, something subtle begins to happen. We slowly develop intolerance, distraction, lack of motivation, and procrastination in our mental space. And eventually, we may find ourselves stuck—doing nothing at all, or drifting from one thing to another, carried by passing impulses.
Yet there are people who seem to move differently. They don’t easily give up on what they do, and they continue on their chosen path with quiet enthusiasm. Even when they face setbacks or failures, they are able to keep going for a long time without losing their direction or motivation.
What sets them apart is a certain quality—a blend of perseverance and passion—shaped by their commitment to long-term goals. Research psychologist Angela Duckworth states that this quality –grit- is a better indicator of success than intelligence (IQ).
She also argues that success depends less on talent and more on the ability to sustain effort until the end. And importantly, she believes this ability can be developed.
Duckworth identifies four key psychological assets that support this persistence :
Interest – It begins with paying attention to what truly draws you in. By reflecting on yourself, you gradually discover the pursuit that gives meaning to your life.
Desire to Develop– Humans naturally have a drive to progress. It is possible with practice—just like a tennis player refining his strokes over time.
Being Useful – The need to do something meaningful. When a person believes their work is useful, it becomes easier to stay committed.
Hope – The fuel behind effort. Belief in yourself, in what you are doing, and in being part of something larger than yourself helps you stay on the path.
Grit is the combination of motivation and perseverance that allows a person to resist their natural tendency toward immediate pleasure in favor of a higher purpose. It is what makes someone go to the gym instead of staying on the sofa, do a small but meaningful favor for someone else, or pick up a long-awaited book instead of binge-watching a series.
At its core, this is an act of self-restraint. With willpower, we try to regulate the automatic responses driven by desire, repeated temptations, and inborn laziness. But like a muscle, this ability needs to be trained. It requires perseverance, regular practice, and willpower. If it is not used, it weakens over time.
Without it, a person may slowly fall back into a more instinct-driven state—one that is guided mainly by immediate impulses and pleasures of the ego.
French psychologist Didier Pleux warns against tying effort too tightly to immediate rewards :
When we agree to make an effort, we have to accept that the reward will not appear right away. If we fall into the trap of “What’s the point?”, we may end up questioning everything. In that moment, it can even feel like: “Why live at all, if we’re all going to die anyway?”
But instant gratification is not really our human side—it belongs more to our instinctive animal nature. Being human means something else: stepping beyond impulse, learning to delay pleasure, developing patience, perseverance, and effort.
In this long-term quest, one tool becomes especially important : auto-suggestion. It helps us stay on the path. You can read more about effective auto-suggestion techniques here.
Duygu Bruce
Excerpts are taken from the weekly French magazine Le Point, 30 June 2022, no 2603.