Complicated...

Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated. -Confucius

I have felt this calling lately to find the simple way. In all aspects of my life I'm noticing how I, and those around me, make things more complicated than they need to be. Perhaps it's through emotional response or basic problem-solving.

As I did some research into the complexity of our world, I found the above quote from Confucius which highlights that this is not a new phenomenon. So what to do about it??? While I appreciate the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle, it doesn't really give you any indication of how to keep things simple.

One of the simplest ways to not let things get complicated is to set proper boundaries. Note that I said simple, not easy. Learning to say no is one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. The lesson in it is that I don't have to prioritize something I don't want to do if I've already said no. I do understand that there are responsibilities that we have or tasks that we are given that we can't say no to-- bills need to be paid, emails need to be answered. Identifying the extra pieces-- the things that we have added that are not necessary, helpful, or even ours to own-- is where we can make a big difference in our lives.

From there, the act of deciding what is important and sticking to that would be a next step.

I just participated in a strategic planning activity- a sure-fire opportunity to make things more complicated. However, the process actually made it much simpler. We were first asked to brainstorm a variety of ideas to solve this plans’ “big question.” Then we were asked to prioritize them by the depth of impact and the level of ease- the easier a task is to complete, the more likely we'll get it done and get a sense of momentum to move us forward.

How do you take this same concept and apply it to the other things that you need to accomplish in our life? Perhaps start by listing out all of your tasks, priorities, and responsibilities. Then organize tasks both by impact as well as the quantity of time to accomplish. I find that starting my day with a few quick, easy tasks gets the ball rolling and my momentum moving for the whole day.

While the first few steps are often the hardest, there is value in putting attention and intention to how you use your time.