I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions but last year I decided to make one, and that was, “when in doubt, KISS”. This isn’t what it sounds like, I am not going to suggest you walk around and spread the love, though if that is the way you roll then so be it. I mean KISS in the sense of Keep it Simple ….. you can finish this sentence.
My first test for the year came in early January. I had to buy a cake for my Mum’s birthday. A fairly simple task I thought, but what was to follow was outrageous! I was asked if I wanted a sponge, mud, triple fudge, square, round, rectangle, heart … character design. What was going on? When did it become so complicated buying a birthday cake?
I started to think that this was typical of so many things these days. We have so much choice but with all this opportunity there is a price. Tasks that were once quite simple have become more complicated. We are constantly bombarded with choice.
But much of this additional “stress” can be managed if we simply understand and focus our effort on those things that are truly important. If it is a personal choice, what is it that makes you happy? What is it that helps you get closer to where you want to be, not further from it? If it is something that is currently causing stress, you can learn to cope better with it, remedy the cause or remove it. There are experts that can help you through each of these steps.
Sometimes you may have to make tough decisions, but it is better to make a tough decision that improves your situation as opposed to leaving everything the same and hoping that everything improves.
So, take the challenge, identify one thing that has been stressing you out and do something about it. Learn to cope better with it, remedy it or remove it. Take a small step toward keeping it simple this week and save your energy for the stuff that really matters.
When in doubt KISS.