You know that feeling when something goes too smoothly?

The contract gets signed without a fight, the project finishes early. The technology actually works on the first try.

There is a five-second flash of relie and then, immediately, a cold prickle of suspicion.

“Okay, what’s the catch?”

We are conditioned to believe that valuable things must be difficult. We believe that if we aren't struggling, fighting or navigating a labyrinth of complexity, we aren't doing real work. We embrace the "grind" because the struggle makes us feel safe. It makes us feel like we earned it.

Ease feels suspicious, simplicity feels like a trap.

I realized recently that I treat my tools the same way I treat good news,  with hyper-vigilance.

I am so used to software that requires a manual, a YouTube tutorial and three workarounds just to post a single piece of content. I’ve internalized the idea that "powerful" means "complicated."

If I’m not wrestling with the interface, am I even being productive?

This was my genuine reaction when I started using Blogshop.

It was suspicious,  it was quiet.

I logged in, I set up and I was ready to go.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, kept waiting for the confusing dashboard or the bug that deletes my draft. I was braced for the battle.

But the battle never came.

It forced me to unlearn a toxic habit, the belief that I need to fight my tools in order to create something of value.

It turns out, good things aren't always difficult after all. Sometimes, they are just good.

Blogshop  just cleared the way so I could work. And honestly? It’s the kind of ease I think I’m finally ready to accept.