We all tend to look for shortcuts in life. In the spirit of this blog post, we’re exploring why that is and how it can be both a good and bad thing. Looking at this from a psychological point of view, we’ll discuss fast-track benefits and potential negatives and how we can use what we’ve learned to get further in life.

Most people want shortcuts because they believe they’ll be more successful than if they took the long route. They may also feel some gratification from telling themselves that they’ve been successful without having put in the effort. These two reasons show why humans always want an easy way out – but sometimes there’s no such thing as a quick fix, or is there?

There’s also the difficulty factor. Playing simple games and quickly picking up the tricks appears more rewarding than going for more strategic games that take longer to learn.

Why have a hobby at all?

Having a pastime you enjoy enriches your life and provides joy. It gives you something to do in your spare time, teaches you new abilities and creates a chance for you to express yourself in a myriad of ways. We’re very fortunate to have these diverse possibilities available today: entire websites are dedicated solely to hobbies and interests.

People who have hobbies are often seen as more enjoyable to be around. They’re the type of people you want on your crew because not only will they keep things light and fun, but they also bring in new friends or people that might share similar interests with yours.

Hobbyists tend to share their stories and knowledge with others, making them experts in everything they’re passionate about; like-minded people often find each other through their love of a hobby. 

Daytime hobbies

Your daytime hobby, you may argue, is your occupation, and if you’re lucky, it won’t feel like work. When people search for work, the most successful way to find what interests them most is by relating employment to a hobby. If you like computer games, you might decide to write computer programs or online design games. You can make money playing video games, turn your hobby into a job by reviewing video games, or even better, writing the shortcuts to get to another level. 

As the creative industries are particularly competitive, emphasizing your relevant skills with hobbies could be a novel way to stand out from others in your field.

If you’re looking for marketing and media jobs, beneficial hobbies include video production, photography, blogging, and art. As these fields continue to grow in popularity, it’s essential to stand out if your voices are to be heard in an overcrowded market. So why not start by putting them on display? There are now recruiters who specialize in helping people find fulfilling careers based on their passions while also providing opportunities wherever there is a need.

Nighttime hobbies

Unless you have nocturnal leanings, the chances are your nighttime hobbies will be relaxing without the need to achieve anything. These hobbies tend to be more about socializing and having fun.

Night games are exactly that. Because gaming is worldwide, if you’re looking for a team in an online RPG game, the best time is around 11pm GMT. Most of America’s gamers will also be online during that time, making finding teammates easier. 

In a world with so many gamers, it can be challenging to find time for sleep. Those who play MMOs on the weekends will have peak hours until Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon from Thursday night, making this play a definite nighttime hobby.

Players may eventually run into issues as fellow online players’ sleeping schedules vary depending on where they’re located in their own country or time zone – the answer is to stay local if you want a regular sleep pattern.

Taking a shortcut is human nature

The desire for pleasure while avoiding suffering is at the heart of instantaneous gratification. When your goals become painful or complex, naturally, you want them to be avoided or delayed.

The desire for immediate gratification has been around since humans first learned how best to satisfy their hunger, whether hunger pangs in need-to-feed situations or between meals. There’s something compelling about wanting everything now.  

We all know we should take the scenic route because there are so many things to see and learn along the way, not because it’s faster. If only real life were that easy!

While specific shortcuts for academic or career success may be faster than others, in terms of time saved on your way to graduation day or promotion, none can make up for the time wasted when exploring choices out of curiosity rather than necessity.

When looking for a way to boost your productivity, the ‘no shortcuts policy’ is perfect. We have found that when we veer towards one of these things, it leads to more complicated situations and wastes time, so instead, we’ve self-enforced not to do them at all unless necessary ,because there’ll always come times where we need some quick fixes. Still, if they become an everyday thing, everything will start getting stagnant again, making work harder than before.

The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts worth having and there’s that old adage, “anything worth doing is worth doing correctly.” Even so, no matter how much you know this is true, it’s not going to stop you from trying that shortcut no matter how much time you may waste doing it.