If you tend to overcomplicate and over think, then learning to keep things simple will reduce your anxiety and make you feel free to enjoy life as it is.

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

-Steve Jobs

The great thing about keeping things simple is that you don’t have to become a minimalist, you don’t have to get rid of all of your possessions, and you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep it simple. Which is to say, that things are already simple.

You don’t have to make it simple. You have to keep it simple. Here’s how you might be overcomplicating things and what to do about.

Simplicity is the aim; but it’s not always easy to maintain.

What I’m learning is that simplicity is a good goal place. But attaining nirvana isn’t always simple. It requires a lot of effort and takes a lot of time.

Simplicity is deceptive.

There’s a misconception that because something is simple, it must be easy. It’s not. Take an Apple product for example. It’s very elegant in its simplicity but it was not an easy product to design. Thousands of plans, meetings, adjustments, trial runs, and tests went into making the phone in your hand.

Keep the idea of what a simplified life looks like for you in mind. Keep working towards that, but be prepared for some hard work in getting there.

Simplicity can feel uncomfortable for a perfectionist.

If you’re like me, a perfectionist, then simplifying things can sometimes start to feel like you’re not doing enough. What ends up happening is that life starts to become less complicated and the temptation to fill in the space with noise presents itself.

If that’s you too, then rest assured that doing less, having more breathing room, and not saying yes to everything is going to feel awkward for a bit. Resist the urge to fill that quiet space, to buy more, and to say yes when you feel like saying no.

This is where a lot of people get tripped up and head back into a cycle of doing too much and burning out.

Use the mantra this week, “Keep it simple”.

Give yourself permission to change your mind.

One of the ways that you might be over complicating things is by believing that once you make a decision, things are set in stone. Perhaps you’re looking to make a career move and you think that if you choose between two options that you’re forever stuck.

That’s not true.

You’re allowed to change your mind and you’re allowed to choose another path if you need to.

Keep it simple by giving yourself permission to feel things out. Have enough faith to know that if you choose something that’s not a good fit, you can recover from that choice.

Simplicity comes in many different styles.

What works for me may not work for you and visa versa. There is no one-size fits all approach to simple living. You don’t have to have an all white home with white furniture and zero clutter.

One major way that you might be overcomplicating things for yourself is by comparing your life to another person’s. Someone may appear to have it all together, but you don’t really know what it’s like to live their life.

You need to define what simplicity means for you. What are you able to achieve right now? Be honest?

You may have a goal to get rid of clutter in your home or to slowly pull back from responsibilities outside of work, but is it realistic for you do that right now?

Work towards that, but don’t hassle yourself in the process.

Keeping it simple doesn’t have to be complicated. You can let yourself off the hook a little and take it one step at a time. Do you tend to overcomplicate things? What tip jumped out at you? What will you try to do differently? Perhaps you have some tips to share with us. Leave a comment below.