Forcing Function (n): any task, activity, or event that forces you to take action and produce a result.
I recently moved to New York City, gaining access to the infinite options the city provides. You can do everything in New York, but it comes with a price: it takes more time, money, and energy to do anything.
Why would anyone opt into a situation where doing anything is more difficult?
Because it forces you to figure yourself out.
While time, money, and energy are normal constraints, walls that you have to be wary not to bump into, in New York City they compound, becoming a room where the walls are closing in on you. You have no choice but to figure out how you want to use those extremely limited resources, and soon. It moves you from “like” to “love”, and demands you trim the fat of what you don’t want in your life, even if minor.
While we can hate forcing function for rushing us, pushing us too hard, and forcing us to decide, we can also love them for presenting us with the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and focusing us in on what is essential.