‘In 3 easy steps’
‘Overwhelmed? Here’s how to fix it!’ promises a headline at the top of my boyfriend’s Guardian newspaper lying casually tossed on our dining table.
Instead of reaching out for the relief of the promised salvation ‘in 3 easy steps’, I fold up my arms defiantly.
I’ve seen too many articles in this vein: at best, they provide entertainment, a momentary distraction.
For something fairly minor, maybe they can provide a useful tip.
But for substantial challenges, I’ve grown to distrust promises of quick-‘n-easy solutions.
What’s wrong with ‘3 easy steps’?
When I first began to feel distaste for such phrases, I asked myself what had felt so appealing about them to begin with.
I realised that whenever I’d felt hesitant, uncertain or unsure of myself, the promise of a clear and easy recipe for a quick solution felt enticing.
Oh, for someone to tell me what to do!
Yet I struggled to recall an example when that had really worked in practice.
Tailoring a solution so it really fits inevitably demands time and effort, problem-solving, dealing with caveats, hesitations, misgivings and so on.
‘3 easy steps’ kept turning out to mean ‘Here’s an overview, and then you’re on your own (again).’
Eventually, I realised I was mostly annoyed with myself - with the game I’d played, ‘tricking’ myself into believing that I’d overlooked some marvellous shortcut. I had to concede that if what I needed really was that simple, I would have found it.
Sometimes what you need is the real deal.
Sometimes nothing less will do.
Because sometimes you need to do the thing your way, no matter how complicated the path to find it.
What if you could trust that even your struggles are meaningful and useful?
Over to you: What’s your experience with quick-‘n-easy answers?
Not sure what comes next?
Sometimes the first step is just saying this matters.
A Nesting Call is a gentle conversation to meet you where you are — no fixing, no rushing, just deep listening and space to notice what wants to unfold.
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