Making Things Difficult

Have you ever been working on a project and then suddenly realize that you are making the job unnecessarily difficult?

In my case, that's not just a "once upon a time" event but a tendency that requires periodic checks. Many of us have a natural slant toward complicating matters. We get "too clever by half" and lose focus on the essentials. This can be exacerbated by external pressures, the heavy flow of information, and a desire for perfection.

That's why a key question at the beginning of any project is "What are the essentials?" Once that is answered, we need to be on the alert both for mission creep and undue complexity.

Simplify should work closely with Clarify.