Hey there —

If you were given a choice between a simple and a complex solution to a problem, which would you choose?

Funny enough, most people actually tend to prefer complexity.

Sounds crazy, right?

But it’s true. There’s even a term for this cognitive fallacy: The complexity bias.

🍏 It’s why we argue over the science behind ketogenic diets instead of adopting helpful eating habits.

📖 It’s why we nitpick bullet journaling methods instead of just finishing the most important task on our to-do list.

📹 And it’s why we think we need to know everything about video editing before we hit record.

When we hear a simple solution to our problem we think, “It can’t be that easy!” So what gives? Why are we so hell-bent on making life more difficult than it has to be?

Because assuming that something is beyond our abilities gives us an excuse to procrastinate.

It's easy to give up when we think something is beyond our skill set. Why even try if we think we're destined to fail?

But not everything needs to be that complicated. Here are 3 ways to overcome your complexity bias:

1. Use Occam’s Razor. This is the philosophical principle that, when faced with similar options, you should always try the simplest solution first.

2. Develop a bias towards action. It’s impossible to master something before you even begin (go figure!). Get started, learn from your mistakes, improvise, and you’ll see progress before you know it.

3. Redefine what success looks like for you: Don’t get caught up in other peoples’ ideas of success, like follower counts, earning, or views. Tie your goals to effort, not outcomes, and track your progress to keep your momentum going.

Most of us tend to overcomplicate things because we believe that complex solutions are better than simple ones. But if you can find a simple way to get started, you’ll usually discover that it really is a lot easier than you thought.

And remember, even the tough stuff gets easier with practice.

One Thing, Now

Article | by Oliver Burkeman

Wouldn’t it be great to always know what to do? No doubt. No indecision. Just action.

Oliver Burkeman, author of 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, claims to have that ability. And it’s thanks to having dealt with emergencies.

Burkeman asserts that when emergencies appear, the one thing that “needs to be done” is so obvious and urgent that doubt and indecision disappear.

And while we often don't face red-alert emergencies every day, we can apply the same principles to how we manage our work projects.

Read the article →

What’s Not in the Frame

Video | by Vlogbrothers

“Vlogbrothers” Hank and John Green have been uploading a video every Tuesday and Friday on their YouTube channel since 2007.

And lots of people have been watching. They have over 883,042,632 views to date.

But John highlights what the watchers haven’t seen for the past 15 years: Hank’s and John’s lives outside the (YouTube) frame.

It’s easy to forget that what you see online is only a highlight reel of someone’s life. And as much as you think you might “know” someone, there’s a lot that happens offline.

Watch the video →

Food Timeline

Website | by Lynne Olver

Ever wonder when we started brewing beer? Curious when tomatoes were domesticated?

Lynne Olver created the Food Timeline to document when all of your favorite foods were discovered, cultivated, or invented — from mashed potatoes (1747) to avocados (5000 BC) and Nutella (1943!).

Arm yourself with these food fun facts before your next dinner party to wow whoever is sitting next to you.

Check it out →

Written by Rochi Zalani

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Ashley Martin