There is an idea of beginner's luck - that when one starts doing something one resonates with on a deep level, one tends to have unexpected success because the

There is an idea of beginner's luck - that when one starts doing something one resonates with on a deep level, one tends to have unexpected success because the potential to be great at it is seeking to escape and wants to signal to the conscious mind that it exists. But the same set of attitudes also believes that as one continues on the same path, the challenges it brings will rapidly grow to match one's burgeoning capabilities. So I would guess the people who say that worthwhile things take a long time, did often have experiences of grace like you, where things were easy. But I would guess they also found that anything worth doing is worth challenging oneself with.