How Simplicity’s Great Nemesis Almost Killed This Blog Before It Was Born

This blog is supposed to be about simplifying, but all I ever did since I caught the idea was complicate things.

I made a mindmap of the basics for this blog (mindmapping is my go-to tool when brainstorming). It was supposed to keep me focused — you know, to have a document to turn back to in case I lost direction.

Instead the mindmap left me stumped. The ideas became overwhelming. And I wasn’t even satisfied with the blog’s overall “strategy”.

So there’s our irony of ironies: I got bogged down by a complicated plan for a blog about simplicity.

The blog failed even before it started. Absolutely humiliating.

But, today, over a week since (temporarily) giving up, I relearn my first lesson in simplicity: DO. NOT. OVERTHINK.

Thinking through a plan is good, but overthinking it is bad, bad, bad.

It seems that most of the time, a simple, brilliant idea only needs a simple, humble response: acting on it.

I’m not advocating impulsiveness, of course. But there are some good things that just don’t need a comprehensive plan. Like being kind, donating some money, watering the plants, giving a compliment, writing a damn blog post.

So, dear reader, here’s to not overthinking. Here’s to measured, reasoned immediate response to good stimuli. Here’s to living simply!