As a professional footballer, at a very young age playing my first senior level game, I was knocked out and carried off on a stretcher. I played football at a competitive level for the next 18 years after that incident. I think it would be fair to say, I got hit in the head, to some degree or another, at least 10 times. Have I killed some brain cells? Probably. Has it affected my cognitive function? Possibly. Whatever the outcome of these hits, all I know is this, I need to keep things simple if I am to enjoy my life and achieve what I want. So, I want to encourage you to do all you can to simplify everything.
I am not suggesting you go out and hit your head repeatedly against a brick wall to kill brain cells and affect your cognitive function to help you simplify things. I am suggesting you do it deliberately with everything you do. The Cambridge Dictionary definition of ‘Simplify’ is, to make something less complicated and therefore easier to do or understand. Doesn’t that sound better than to make something more complicated and therefore harder to do or understand? Right? So, why is it so many of us complicate things?
I used to complicate my training to the nth degree. I needed to know which energy systems were being used, which muscles strengthened, what was the optimal time and duration to train, and what training gear was best. Now I simply get up and move each day and vary it on a regular basis. OMG, I used to complicate my eating! I would weigh, measure, count, avoid, and worry. I would make eating out needlessly stressful because I would try to change everything on the menu to suit my extreme and paranoid eating habits. It was exhausting and didn’t give me the results I wanted. Now, I simply eat the whole range of natural foods, enjoy variety, and indulge in moderation. I am far happier and healthier.
I used to complicate my relationships ten-fold by trying always to be liked, worrying about what others thought, and trying to have all the answers. It kept me feeling stuck and insecure. Now, I simply strive to treat every person with respect and value, and it has made all the difference. When I started in business, I complicated selling my product or service by needing to explain all the features and benefits and having all the smooth sales lines. It was a horrible and ineffective experience. Now, I simply focus on building relationships and finding out what is important to people, and everything changed.
I hope you are getting my message here. We live in a world that tries to complicate everything, and I mean everything. If we buy into it, we will be stressed, confused, and far away from what we want. The moment you can simplify things, the moment you make it easier to do and understand, therefore there is more chance you will get the results you want. When you stop and realise that strengthening your financial situation simply requires you to spend less and earn more, then you get into action creating that outcome. You don’t need to understand business, shares, interest rates, or investment strategies. You just need to earn more than you spend.
Make this day, this week, and this year, the one you decide to simplify all the things that are causing confusion and stress. Rather than look at achievement, or material things as the catalyst for your joy, why not go for a walk outside and look around at the incredible world we live in? Just be grateful that you are here to enjoy it. If you have kids, they are going to do things that annoy you, that is a fact, so why not simply love them for who they are and what they add to your life. Do me a favour and stop right now and think about 3 things you love, three things you are grateful for, and three things you are excited about. How does that feel? Pretty simple, right?
In my podcast this week with Madonna Santa called, Wonder words, we discuss the power that the words we use will have on our life. I think we can all agree, it is pretty simple to change the words we use. I didn’t say easy, but it is simple, as is everything in life. The difference between making something beautifully simple and horrendously complicated is deliberate thought. So, as you finish reading this blog and get on with your day, be deliberate about your choice to simplify everything.