Complexity asks us to manage more. Simplicity asks us to need less. Because simplicity doesn’t remove what matters. It reveals what matters.
Asking the Wrong Question
Years ago, as a busy software developer, I was always looking for the perfect planner to help me stay organized and get more done. I tried the Franklin Planner. I used a DIY planner template for a time. I experimented with the 3-3-3 method and the Bullet Journal. I carried unfinished tasks from one day’s to-do list to the next, convinced I was only one productivity system away from finally getting caught up.
Each new system gave me hope. “This is the one,” I’d think. For a few weeks I’d feel organized. I’d check off more boxes. I’d tweak the layout. I’d adjust the priorities. Then, inevitably, the pages began filling faster than I could empty them.
Eventually, it dawned on me that my planner wasn’t the problem. My life was. Not in the sense that it was “bad,” but that it had become unnecessarily complicated.
I wasn’t failing because I needed a better system. I was failing because I kept trying to organize complexity instead of reducing it.
We Don’t Need More Productivity.
I kept trying to organize complexity instead of reducing it. Productivity answers the question, “How can I get more done?” Simplicity asks a completely different question: “What no longer needs to be done?”
Or, using the Excelerated Simplicity™ Guiding Question: “What can I simplify today?”
I spent years trying to manage complexity when I should have been removing it.
We Need Less Complexity
Most people try to solve complexity by becoming more efficient, just as I did for years.
More apps.
Better planners.
New systems.
And sometimes those help. But often we’re simply organizing a life that has become too complicated. That’s like buying more shelves when what you really need is fewer boxes.
Simplicity Isn’t Only Owning Less
First, let’s be clear what simplicity isn’t:
- minimalism
- deprivation
- getting rid of everything
- living with one chair and two spoons
Simplicity is intentionally removing whatever keeps you from living what matters most. That might be possessions. It might be obligations. It might be habits. It might even be unnecessary thinking.
The Shift
The question shifts from “What should I simplify?” to the Guiding Question: “What can I simplify today?”
It isn’t a command. It isn’t a checklist. It’s an invitation. Some days the answer is:
- one drawer
Other days:
- one difficult conversation
Or:
- one commitment
Or:
- one expectation
Or:
- one negative thought you’ve carried around for years.
The question adapts because life changes.
Living the Question
The Guiding Question develops awareness. Once we begin asking it, we start noticing complexity everywhere. We notice:
- unnecessary decisions
- unnecessary meetings
- unnecessary purchases
- unnecessary worry
- unnecessary commitments
- unnecessary drama
- unnecessary perfectionism
The question begins filtering life. Eventually, simplicity stops being something we do, and becomes how we see.
One Small Practice
Here’s a way to begin the Simplicity practice. For the next seven days, whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed, pause.
Ask: What can I simplify right now?
Then act on the first honest answer. Some days the answer will take thirty seconds. Some days it may change the direction of your life.
The Real Goal
The goal of Excelerated Simplicity™ isn’t simply to have fewer possessions. And it isn’t an organized closet. The goal is creating space. Not just closet space. Space for:
- relationships
- contribution
- creativity
- health
- rest
- purpose
- joy
- God
Because simplicity doesn’t remove what matters. It reveals what matters.
Complexity asks us to manage more. Simplicity asks us to need less. And every day begins with one small question: What can I simplify today? That’s how you embrace your Excelerated Life™!
What can you simplify today?
When will you do it?
Share your ideas by leaving a post below.
Ask better questions. Make better choices. Build better habits. Live an Excelerated Life™.
Excelerated Simplicity™ is the practice of intentionally removing unnecessary complexity from your life so you can focus your time, energy, and attention on what truly matters. It is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.
(Please NOTE: The material in this document is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice in medical, psychological, legal, or financial matters. The purpose of this article is to educate and inspire. Following the techniques, suggestions, or strategies presented does not guarantee success.)