If You Hate Peeling Oranges, You’ll Get This

When Fruit Teaches You About Life

I love Sumo Citrus. It's sweet, easy to peel, and almost impossible to be disappointed by. For a few precious months each year, Sumos take center stage in my kitchen, and I treat them like nature’s finest dessert. They peel cleanly, they taste incredible, and their limited season only makes them feel more special.

Then, there’s the humble orange.

Available all year.
Harder to peel.
Often disappointing.

We still buy them, of course. As a physician, I know all the reasons to add more citrus to my diet. Vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants—the works. I want the benefits. But sometimes, the simple friction of peeling an orange and risking a dry, bland bite is enough to make me walk away.

And if you think that's just laziness, you're not alone. I used to think that too—until an orange in Spain changed my mind.

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Friction: The Tiny Force That Stops Big Goals

Behavioral science has a word for it: friction.

Friction is any small obstacle that stands between you and an action you want to take. It's the sticky peel. The uncertainty. The past memories of disappointment.

We like to believe we’re rational creatures who make decisions based on knowledge and intention. But often, tiny inconveniences have the final say. When something requires too much effort, or the reward is uncertain, even the best intentions fade.

It's not that you're broken. It's that peeling an unpredictable orange is just one friction too many.

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Spain: Where the Oranges (and Life) Are Different

When I spent time in Spain, we bought oranges too. They were just as stubborn to peel. But instead of wrestling with the peel, we sliced them open.

Slices, not peels. That was the first difference.

The second difference? The oranges themselves were sweeter, juicier, and rarely disappointing. It wasn’t a gamble. It was a joy.

We didn’t overthink it. We cut. We ate. We savored.

And in that simplicity, something shifted.

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It’s Not Always About Trying Harder

The lesson hit me:
It wasn't that peeling was too hard.
It was that here, the effort often didn't feel worth it.
There, it always did.

We tell ourselves that if we just had more willpower, more discipline, we would succeed. We would peel the orange, go to the gym, make the healthy meal, finish the project.

But friction wears us down.
Disappointment teaches us to hesitate.
And environments that make rewards uncertain quietly discourage action.

Sometimes, it’s not about trying harder.
It’s about designing better systems.
It's about slicing instead of peeling.

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How to Slice Through Friction in Real Life

1. Lower the Barrier:
Make the first step easy. Prepare the food, lay out the shoes, open the book. Remove the stubborn peel.

2. Improve the Reward:
Find higher-quality inputs. Fresh food. Better tools. Inspiring environments. Sweet oranges.

3. Create Predictability:
Set up systems where good experiences are the norm, not the exception. Make the reward feel reliable.

4. Shift the Method, Not the Goal:
Maybe it’s not the goal that’s wrong. Maybe it’s the approach.
Slice instead of peel.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Adapt:
Not every solution has to be harder. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is make it easier.

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Life Is a Bowl of Oranges — Choose Wisely

Life hands us both Sumos and everyday oranges.
Some days, the path is sweet and effortless.
Other days, it’s sticky, stubborn, and full of minor annoyances.

We don't always get to choose what life hands us. But we can choose how we approach it.

We can complain about the stubborn peel—or we can pick up a knife, slice into the sweetness, and savor what’s inside.

It’s not always about working harder.
Sometimes, it’s about working smarter.
And sometimes, it's about cutting your fruit differently.

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Ready to Slice Through the Friction?

If this resonates with you—if you're tired of feeling stuck by tiny obstacles and ready to design a sweeter, simpler, more intentional life—I'd love to invite you to go deeper.

Inside The Habit Healers Mindset’s Inner Circle, we explore how small, meaningful changes—tiny slices, if you will—can transform your habits, your health, and your joy. It's not about forcing change. It's about healing habits from the inside out.

You’re just one simple, healing habit away.
Join us and start slicing your way to something sweeter.