The best way to achieve success in life is through simplification and optimization. Which approach works best in a particular situation?
There are people whom I call simplists, and there are those whom I refer to as optimizers. The simplified person looks for easy ways to accomplish the task, although he knows that with the extra effort, the result will be better. The optimizer will find the best solution, even if the added complexity reduces the chances of solving the unexpected problem. I prefer simplicity, but there are times when the optimal solution is much better. How do you know which approach will work best in a given situation?
If the situation involves communication with other people, the correct answer is almost always simplicity. But if you can solve the problem that has arisen on your own or with a partner with whom you have complete harmony, then the most acceptable search for the optimal solution, especially if you are able to control most of the variable factors in this case. In real life, sometimes there are cases when we have only two hours for a three-hour job, so we do not always have a great opportunity to sort out simple ways.
I always prefer simplicity when I have to choose a system to use. A simple system is easier for a person to keep track of than a complex one. I'll give you some examples of fitness and diet later in this article. The most optimal diet or exercise plan is the hardest at the same time. But few people have the willpower to follow a complex plan.
If you don't understand which plan is better - simple or complex, go for the simple one. Since you have to act at random, let it be easy and simple.
If the cost of failure is high, then a simple solution is better because it is easier to control and easier to manage. Forgetting to book a table in a restaurant is not the end of the world, so in this case, the search for the optimal solution is quite justified. But if you are traveling to an important business meeting, then you are unlikely to want to carry out some trivial assignments along the way, because this creates unnecessary stress and uncertainty.
In my work, I have always felt that my penchant for simplicity is a kind of superpower. For example, when I draw comics, I rarely use background elements and decorations. And when I do, I try to keep them as simple as possible. This provides tremendous time savings.
I believe that many artists retire early, partly due to the fact that they are optimizers in life, and it is very difficult to withstand such a load for a long time. Nobody reads comics because of their artistic merit. I can afford the luxury of doing simple drawings right away on my computer using a Wacom Cintiq (this is a computer screen that I can draw on). I am typing dialogs with a special font that I created from my own handwriting. Over the years, I've simplified and refined the system to the point where I can cook up a comic in about an hour if necessary, although it usually takes me longer. I kept my Dilbert comics simple from the beginning and continue to simplify the process. The simplicity pays off handsomely because I have time to write books, blogs, and side projects. And yet I enjoy life.
The search for the optimal solution is often undertaken by those who have very specific tasks, and who feel the need to go all out for the sake of their fulfillment. And those who look at the world systematically simplify the work. An optimal system is a simple system, and for good reason. A complex system is more likely to fail and fail. Human nature is such that we successfully follow simple systems, but sometimes we are not able to keep track of complex ones.
Simple systems are probably the best way to achieve success. And when you are successful, optimization starts to gain more value. Successful people and successful companies over time can afford to bring their work to perfection. And startups often try to quickly mold something 80% good, and after that they wait for how the public will react. If the market likes the product, there will be time to improve it.
Another major benefit of simplicity is that it saves us time, and time is one of our most important resources. If you give the ant an infinite amount of time, it can move an entire mountain on its own. In my case, I do three works in forty-eight hours a week (artist, author, entrepreneur), while usually a person does one.
Simplicity releases energy, and everything else becomes a little easier for you. And this is very important. You don't want to fail at a job interview just because you had to complete four difficult assignments on the way there, after which you experience tremendous stress. When you are trying to choose between simplification and optimization, think about the whole day, and those only about the tasks at the moment. In other words, it is not the number of tasks that needs to be accumulated, but personal energy. As I said above, we do not always have the opportunity to choose simplicity, especially if we need to do a thousand things in a day. But it’s very good when there is a general plan for the day that provides for simple solutions, if there is an opportunity for this. Over time, difficulties can be cleared and reduced. Simplicity is a worthy long-term goal. Thanks to it, you release your personal energy in order to focus it at the right moment in the right direction.
