The word "like this" in the second sentence means: walking on a bumpy mountain road, bumping down all the way, the small one leaks down, and the big one stays on it.
Smooth sailing: I haven't experienced any ups and downs (meaning in the text)
Stick to the routine: thinking or doing the same thing as others (meaning in the text)
The smooth journey can only breed conventional thinking, and the shortcuts in life always flash after experiencing bumps and bumps.