Where did all the complexity come from?
I don’t know about you, but I find modern life to be weird.
It often feels like our daily lives are designed to drive us crazy—or at the very least, overwhelm us with a thousand unnecessary details.
Between constant electronic interruptions, endless to-do lists, and the usual pressures of work, it can seem like life itself is conspiring to leave us feeling scattered and stressed.
Of course, we need to answer emails, stay connected with our schedule, cook meals, and do the jobs we’re paid to do.
But somewhere in the midst of all the urgent busyness, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. We end up letting ourselves become consumed by things that don’t actually move the needle, while the bigger picture of our life-direction fades into the background, and time races by.
As a huge-picture person, I find that details can quickly leave me lost in the weeds. And once I’m in the weeds, it’s a deep swamp to get stuck in.
I need clarity—a single purpose at any given time.
My wife, on the other hand, thrives on details. She lives by her lists—so much so that I often joke the first item on her list is: Buy more paper for lists…
But despite her tendency toward minutia, she somehow manages to stay focused on what truly needs to get done. It probably helps that she doesn’t have a smartphone—just an old flip phone that looks like it’s from the Middle Ages. So for her, interruptions are rare and fleeting.
The truth is, we often feel overwhelmed when we don’t have a clear sense of what really matters. It’s essential to identify your priorities. When you know what’s most important, it becomes much easier to cut through the noise and focus on what deserves your attention.
So here’s the thing…
Do we really need to answer every email within five minutes of receiving it?
Probably not.
And do I really need to scroll through hundreds of one-minute hilarious cat videos before sitting down to write my weekly email?
Definitely not.
By limiting how often we engage with non-essential tasks, we create more space for the things that are truly meaningful. And by prioritizing what’s important, we stop letting trivial things interrupt our flow.
That’s one reason I love being up at our cabin for a few months each year. It allows me to slow down, focus on doing less, and—most importantly—focus on what really matters.
Right now, I’m enjoying Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, and it’s been feeding my brain in all the right ways.
For some, the answer is to simply do less. That doesn’t mean shirking responsibilities—it means being more strategic about how we handle them. Simplify your systems, whether it’s how you organize your day, manage your tasks, or even how you interact with others. The less complicated your routines, the more mental space you’ll have to get the important things done—without burning out, feeling stressed, or becoming unhappy.
Chris Thompson, our CEO, has made SIMPLICITY his guiding word for the year. All the complexity in our workplace is being purged and minimized, and it’s actually working.
Our whole team is benefiting from the greater efficiency that comes from prioritizing what’s important and keeping work (and life) as simple as possible.
Complexity doesn’t have to rule your life. When you focus on what matters most and let go of the rest, you’ll find that the urgent gets done—and the truly important things won’t be lost in the shuffle.
Simplifying your life can also make it feel like time is slowing down—in a good way. You’ll have more room to reflect, think deeply, and appreciate what’s meaningful.
So, slow down.
Simplify.
Go slower.
And remember, most things just aren’t that important.
The cat videos can wait.
- Mike Mandel
P.S. Get full access to our hypnosis academy for just $1 here (only for new members)
