If you’ve ever wanted to get better at something, you’ll know that improvement doesn’t come easy. Chances are, the harder you are finding progress, the more complex you have inadvertently made it.
If you want to build an extension to your house, there is a clear process to go through, none of which is particularly easy, however, it is surprisingly simple. First you need an architect, then planning permission, then a builder for the foundations, walls, a roof and finally the internals.
If you wish to learn a language, you’ll likely begin learning words, then phrases, then sentences and then paragraphs.
If you want to lose weight, you’ll adapt your eating habits, reduce your calories, maybe change your macronutrients and increase your activity levels.
To take on any of these tasks is not easy, they are hard work, requiring plenty of focus and even more commitment. They are though incredibly simple.
With the correct strategy and the necessary tactics everything becomes achievable. The challenge is seldom down to the complexity of the problem, it is typically down to poor planning, or even more likely terrible execution/ dedication/ commitment to the real time frames.
The key to success is having a mindset that the desired outcome is going to be tough, allocating the necessary time to completion and then breaking things down into a strategy, with a number of tactics.
To be successful we have to create, and follow a process that makes things as simple as possible. In fact, the simpler the better.
As an example, it is simple to allocate 10 minutes a day to something, whether this is staying on top of the correspondence required to build an extension, to allocate time on an app to learn a language, or to prepare and track your food in advance of eating.
It is also simple to create a workflow, for what you are going to achieve and when. If building an extension is a six-month project (from finding an architect to using the newly created rooms) you should have a month by month, week by week and even day by day plan for what needs completing, in the necessary order – this makes everything simple.
When it comes to learning a language or losing weight, the same applies – have a plan, create a methodology/ strict rules/ guides to follow. All you have to then do is stick to the plan. It really is that simple.
When we reframe our thoughts to think about how simple things can be, it really does make matters easier too (easier, not easy). To do this focus on what you are going to do, not what you’re not going to do/ are missing/ taking away.
So, if you’re struggling to achieve any of your desired outcomes, whatever they may be, all you need to do is work out what you are finding hard and make it simpler – in doing so, it will, by default, become far easier.
