Easy > Best
I like doing groceries once a week. It takes the decisions out of eating.
It’s not like I’m obsessed with broccoli and lean mince. But they’re easy to buy, easy to cook, and they’re sitting in my fridge - so that’s what I eat. And it works for my long-term health goals.
Lately, I’ve been paying closer attention to my own behavior. Especially choices I make that don’t always feel ideal. And what I keep finding underneath those actions is ease.
Not necessarily objective ease - but perceived ease.
What’s familiar. What feels clear. What doesn’t require guessing or change.
I go to the gym not because it’s easy, but because it’s familiar. It’s a habit now.
One of my clients wanted to start posting on social media for their business.
They thought it was about camera discomfort. But after their first post - which we made as simple as “just post something” - they realized,
“I actually just don’t know what I’m doing on these platforms. All these buttons, all these features - I don’t get it, I feel inadequate, I don't have a plan, I don't understand where it's all going”
What looked like resistance was really confusion. A lack of clarity.
No step-by-step. No timeline. No sense of outcome.
Once we got clear - action became easy.
When it comes to our behaviors, especially repeated ones, we don’t pick what’s best.
We pick what’s clear. What’s simple. What’s available.
Most people marry someone who lives nearby, did you know that? Not because they’re the best match in the world, but because it's clear, simple, available.
So if you want to start something new, or help someone else take action, stop focusing on what’s rewarding or ideal, don't advertise "BEST".
Design for what’s clear, simple, available.
Behavior Design Audit Exercise
Pick one habit you're trying to build (or help your team build). Ask:
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Is it clear what the next step is?
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Is it simple to do in less than 5 minutes?
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Is it available in the current environment?
Make one small change to improve clarity, simplicity, or access - then watch what happens.
