Simplify to Win

Last week I went on a bit of a rant on budgeting, keeping it simple and not overcomplicating things. At that time I said I was going to continue on this idea of simplification. Which reminded me of camping. The picture here is a trip my son Levi and I took last year. We had a great time and if there is one thing that I love about camping is that it is simple. Tent, sleeping bag, fire and easy food. It makes for some great memories and really helps you to appreciate the small things.

So... Why simplify our lives like that of camping? The simple answer is that it will enable you to get more done, appreciate the little things take small steps, and see progress in all aspects of your life.

Too many of us take too much time trying to get things just right, adding all kinds of details that do not help us achieve our goal, resulting in loss of productivity or just not getting things done in general.

To start on this path of simplification let's look at one great leader and innovator. Steve Jobs was notorious for his jeans and black turtle neck. Every morning, he put on the same things, his closet was filled with the same wardrobe. There was no deciding what to wear in the morning, no scrolling through different items or considering who he was going to meet with that day, just a simple pick-and-go. As a result, he wasted zero brain power in the morning, allowing him to focus more time and energy on what mattered to him and less on the process of getting ready in the morning.

I've thought to myself how great this would be, but I "simply" cannot do it and I think my wife would think I'm crazy. So maybe that is not an area you want to simplify, but it begs the question what are other areas where you could simplify to reduce your energy expenditure and focus your time accordingly?

This points you back to routine. The more things are in a routine the more they are simple and the less energy they use. Just think about the time you drive to the same place each day. How many times have you been heading towards something else along the same path and accidentally continued to your normal destination? Why is that? Your mind is programmed and when it is programmed you continue on that path, leading to less resistance, less energy usage, and consistency.

The more you simplify, the more you drive consistency, and the more you speed up. My son is playing the saxophone for the marching band this year and was telling me about this part that requires him to move his fingers faster and faster. I told him the more he practices it the more natural and easier it will be because your muscles build memory.

Think our our brain just like that, a muscle that gets trained in certain areas, reducing friction which causes certain areas to naturally speed up and allow freedom to focus on other areas.

What causes complexity in our lives?

• Stuff: All the things you buy and clutter up cause complexity and thought processes that slow you down

• To-Do Lists: This could be job, personal, or anything that leads to stress and the inability to get things done. It bogs down our brains and prevents us from achieving our goals or getting anything done.

• Overthinking: This is where I go to the budget and the reason I say to Keep It Simple. If you put too many categories in, you will overthink it and make it difficult. Start simple and then build as you need to and do not be afraid to go back and undo what you have done.

What are some areas you can simplify? Where can you reduce clutter, improve routines, or take a baby step towards something bigger? Take a step in the right direction and that will lead to more. Increase your savings, if you can't save $100 a month, that's okay, what if you saved just $10 per month or $1 per day? Break things up into smaller bites that you can attack and get after it!