Keep Things Simple

Complexity is almost never inherently the best.

I’ve seen in myself, colleagues and clients that the more complex your systems get, the less productive you become and the less fun things ultimately become. I’ve been the king of creating complex tech stacks that are “Complete Solutions” for myself. What I’ve mostly found is that when I make these systems, I’m probably the only one using it.

Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is; Just write it down.

I got a planner for myself a while ago. Nothing fancy, just a dollar store pick-up. I’ve found that the intimate action of taking the thought to jot down my thoughts, my feelings on a topic, and my schedule have done wonders.

I could use Notion, Trello, or some other productivity tool, and I generally do for teams, but for me, it’s nice to see my plans in writing. Funny enough, I can remember hating planners in school. Wish I would have built the habit sooner.

I think this lesson can be taken just about anywhere. Work, business, love, and friendships. Don’t confuse complexity with nuance. The simple answer is almost always the right one. Don’t bog yourself down with unnecessary analytics. Paralysis by analysis kills more ideas than not.

So, when you’re really having a hard time with a problem, take a step back. Take a little break, and think about the simplest answer that you’re telling yourself is much to simple to be the answer.

9 times out of 10, you’re just overthinking it. Keep it simple. Keep going.