The ability to simplify an issue is a skill that I feel is under appreciated these days. We tend to add actions on processes thinking that it will improve it when it’s just making in more complicated and inefficient. Why do we fall towards complexity? The feeling is that all progress is the result of action. But it’s the right action that needs to be implemented, not necessarily more actions. For example, studies show that people who trade equity stocks frequently make less money than those who invest in a few equities and sit tight.
Isaac Newton once said, “truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity of things….” For me this brings home the concept of the Pareto rule which states that 80% of your results comes from only 20% of your actions. In other words, to get most of your results you can remove 80% of your activity. Getting rid of distractions helps me feel less overloaded and more focused.
It’s interesting that Leonardo Da Vinci referred to simplicity as the ultimate sophistication. It comes from subtraction–not addition–of activities. Intentional subtraction from a process can make it more efficient. One of the keys to this though is as Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”
Implementing this habit requires reflection and introspection on our part to see where we can remove the complexity from our business processes or your life design. Once you do, you might find your work and personal pursuits more fulfilling.
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