The Fine Line Between Simple And Easy

This week has been a busy one. I was having a convo with one of my close friends last week about the difference between Simple & Easy. She simple put that Simple is the understand and Easy is the execution. The way she put it made so much sense to me. I wanted to deep dive a little further into it as well, just because i’m a nerd for creativity and business.

Historically, the human quest for understanding and mastery has always danced along the fine line between simplicity and ease. I read, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates highlighted the value of acknowledging our ignorance as the first step toward wisdom, a process simple in concept but challenging in practice. No one wants to admit they are ignorant but awareness is key

In modern times, this dichotomy plays out in the realm of technology, where innovations are designed to simplify our lives, yet mastering these technologies often requires overcoming a steep learning curve. This illustrates the ongoing tension between the simplicity of concepts and the ease of their application. For example, when i first moved from imovie to premier pro, i thought it was going to be easy. The decision to move was simple but the learning curve was difficult for the first few months. I had to really dig into the mechanics of what would make this process easier for me.

The psychology behind why we find some tasks simpler to understand yet harder to execute is fascinating. Cognitive dissonance theory provides insight. It suggests that we experience discomfort when our actions and beliefs don't align, such as understanding the simplicity of a healthy lifestyle but struggling with the execution.

This dissonance can be a powerful motivator for change, pushing us to align our practices with our understanding, albeit through a challenging process. I was having a conversation with my little sister not to long ago. She told me about a few goals that she had highlighted. I lovingly let her know that the challenge with these goes is not in the simplicity of the understanding but her actions and discipline moving forward. We have ALL said what we are willing to do, but then the will power has to match.

Expanding Your Action Plan

To navigate from simple understanding to easy execution, consider these additional strategies:

• Mindfulness and Reflection: Cultivate a practice of mindfulness that allows you to be present with the task at hand, reducing the gap between knowing and doing. Reflection can help you understand your successes and areas for growth.

• Incremental Learning: Embrace the concept of "kaizen," or continuous improvement(the title of this newsletter community as well ), which focuses on making small, incremental changes over time. This approach can demystify the process of turning simple ideas into easy practices.

• Harness the Power of Habit: Building habits around the simple tasks can make their execution feel easier over time. This is because habits reduce the mental load required to start a task, making the execution more automatic and less daunting.

• Emotional Intelligence: Develop your emotional intelligence to better navigate the feelings of frustration or discouragement that may arise when execution proves difficult. Understanding and managing your emotions can be key in transforming understanding into action.

As we ponder the simple yet hard aspects of our lives, let's also consider the role of patience and perseverance. The journey from understanding to execution is not just about intellectual comprehension but about emotional resilience and the capacity to persist despite challenges.

So, now that we have reached the end. What simple truths have you found challenging to put into practice? How have you navigated the journey from understanding to execution?We can all help each other move through Simple & Easy together.

Have an amazing Week!