Simple is the not the same as easy.

When something is "easy", it requires very little effort to acquire. Picking up McDonald's instead of cooking a nice meal at home is easy. It is convenient.

Simple, however, is thought provoking. It requires hours of thought so others can engage with your end product in the easiest way possible.

Because time was spent creating something simple, it allows for something to be easy.

But the reverse is not true. Easy does not allow for something to be simple.

Lets go back to the McDonald's example.

Years of practice and research have allowed McDonald's to offer a cheap product that is produced in a matter of seconds while you sit in your car. I never said it was healthy, but it is easy. It takes little effort on your part.

Millions of dollars were spent to produce the tools needed to make this happen. Engineers and chefs (Yes, McDonald's has a team of chefs who create their menu) carefully balanced operational efficiency with food biology to create a product that the consumer would enjoy and still make money for the organization. That was far from simple or easy. It was hard work.

But the hours and millions of dollars spent created an assembly line method to expedite the service and deliver burgers to hungry people around the world.

Because they spent the time necessary on the front end, they are able to enjoy the benefits later.

How can you achieve simplicity in your day-to-day activities? It won't be easy getting there, but after you have put it in place, it is easy to reap the rewards of a well oiled machine.

QUESTION:

What do you need to simplify in your life to make your day better?