We’ve all encountered them – people who seem to take even the most simple task or situation and smother it with complex scenarios and complicating questions. Maybe we are them. Chances are good that these people live with a lot of unnecessary stress and worry as well as spreading this stress and worry to others.
How complicated we choose to make things has the power to completely change the experience we get out of life. Personal responsibilities, career goals, organizing and planning even the simplest things can become arduous, overwhelming tasks if we allow these molehills to grow into mountains. Just as much as we hold the tools to make life complicated, we also hold the tools to make it simple. The more we value the simplicity of life, the more likely we are to apply this value toward how we live, work and interact with others.
Mountains and mole hills
It’s a common phrase – “Making a mountain out of a molehill” – and though we know it and use it often, it never seems to stick as a life lesson we should learn to apply personally. Simply put, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be! Based on some of the people we encounter in both business and in life, we can tell they did not have a teacher who valued the "Keep it Simple" principle. These people are “over-communicators.”
They’re the people who require 2 phone calls and 3 follow-up emails to you before they feel a point has been clearly communicated. Dealing with such communicators is insulting because they don’t feel you’re capable of fully grasping a concept, just because they can’t. Furthermore it’s frustrating because they inevitably take up more of your time and energy than they’re worth. Don’t be an over-communicator to save time, energy and effort.
How complicated we choose to make things has the power to completely change the experience we get out of life. Personal responsibilities, career goals, organizing and planning even the simplest things can become arduous, overwhelming tasks if we allow these molehills to grow into mountains. Just as much as we hold the tools to make life complicated, we also hold the tools to make it simple. The more we value the simplicity of life, the more likely we are to apply this value toward how we live, work and interact with others.
Mountains and mole hills
It’s a common phrase – “Making a mountain out of a molehill” – and though we know it and use it often, it never seems to stick as a life lesson we should learn to apply personally. Simply put, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be! Based on some of the people we encounter in both business and in life, we can tell they did not have a teacher who valued the "Keep it Simple" principle. These people are “over-communicators.”
They’re the people who require 2 phone calls and 3 follow-up emails to you before they feel a point has been clearly communicated. Dealing with such communicators is insulting because they don’t feel you’re capable of fully grasping a concept, just because they can’t. Furthermore it’s frustrating because they inevitably take up more of your time and energy than they’re worth. Don’t be an over-communicator to save time, energy and effort.
Less complicated doesn’t mean less thoughtful
Believe it or not, the simple answer can be the right answer. We’re wired to think that if it’s too simple it must be missing some element or overlooking some critical aspect. This is a very flawed thinking.In fact, the simplest answers are often the best answers, but we only land on these simple answers, long after we have exhausted our far more complicated options. The most important point is to simply stop second guessing your judgment or the judgment of others you know to be capable.
Add value without adding complications
Making a situation more complicated does not mean you’re more invested in a project than someone who is trying to keep it simple. When someone seeks out the most simple and straightforward answer, sometimes people think that the person is looking for the easy way out. While ease can often accompany simplicity, laziness is an entirely separate motivator. The energy saved in handling a situation simply can be reallocated to another area of the project to make it even more exceptional.
For those who over-communicate and like to complicate matters as a way to prove their worth to a project, this is easy to identify and even easier to see through. If you’re insecure with the value you’re bringing to the table, don’t compensate by making the job harder for someone else. Both in life and in business, we’re all in this together. We certainly don’t need to start throwing dirt into each other’s piles.
Embrace that life is only as complicated as we choose to make it.
Author and Credits: Stephanie Shirley