The Easy Bias Effect

Your Brain is Playing Tricks on You.

Every day, you make decisions that seem rational, but what if I told you your brain is biased toward the easiest option, even when it’s not the best one?

It’s called The Easy Bias Effect.

Your mind is wired for efficiency, always seeking the path of least resistance. But here’s the catch: The easiest choice today often leads to harder consequences down the road.

It’s not your fault (but now you can’t ignore it 😉)

Your brain is wired to prioritize immediate ease over long-term benefits because, for most of human history, survival depended on short-term energy conservation rather than long-term planning.

So when faced with a decision, your brain will discount the easier option, giving it more weight as a better decision than the one that requires more work. Even if it isn’t truly the best decision.

Choosing comfort over challenge → Stagnation in place of growth

Avoiding tough conversations → Usually makes things worse

Skipping workouts → Harder to stay in shape later

Hitting snooze → A rushed, unfocused morning

Eating junk → Likely health issues in the future

The easy path isn’t free. It accrues an interest rate you’ll eventually have to pay.

But what if you could rewire your brain to choose better by default?

Try the Challenging Path for 21 Days

For three weeks, I made a deal with myself. When faced with two options, I went with the one that was more challenging — in spite of what I “felt” was better. The result? A story for another time, but it put me on paths that changed my life.

Here’s how it works:

Week 1: Awareness

→ Each time you make a decision, pause and ask: “Am I choosing this because it’s easy or because it’s right?”

→ Write down one instance daily where you caught yourself choosing the hard-but-better option.

Week 2: Intentional Action

→ Actively seek out small discomforts. Speak up in a meeting, push through a workout, wake up when your alarm goes off, eat the fruit instead of the donut.

→ Pause after climbing the steeper trail. Even if it’s just for ten seconds. Soak it in, and enjoy the sense of accomplishment. Give yourself a high-five.

→ Remind yourself: Small hard moments now = an easier life later.

Week 3: Momentum

→ Default to the harder path. The tough conversation, the book instead of TikTok, that extra thirty minutes of tortuous My Little Pony playtime with your kid.

→ Reflect: What’s changed? What areas of your life feel stronger?

→ Pay special attention to any experiences (and what they led to) when taking this path.

The Road Less Traveled

By the end of 21 days, you’ll have built mental muscles that make choosing growth over comfort your new default. Maybe. It’s not easy to fight millions of years of brain evolution. But I guarantee one thing: if you pick the road less desired is often the road less traveled. You’ll find yourself having some new experiences — and who knows where those will lead.

The debt from easy choices compounds. So does the interest in good decisions.

Your future self will thank you.