Simpler is Better

This is the slogan of a company where I used to work, and somehow I've tried to incorporate this way of thinking into my daily life.


Whenever I encounter difficult situations, I try to simplify them before I even try to think of a solution for them. And now I'm trying to employ the same principle on how to better handle an endeavor that has long been failing and getting stuck because of the original aim of thinking big and doing things big.


Despite the many who thought that this was the way to go, it just didn't work. We're obviously still where we used to be -- well, maybe we've made a teeny weeny bit of progress, but I can't help thinking that we could have accmplished more had we approached things differently.


Although I'm all for dreaming big and seeing the big picture, I believe that it's better to start small and to take baby steps. After all, isn't that nature's way of growing things?


Similarly, in the efforts to grow the seeds of an ideal, I think it's best to keep goals and expectations small and simple. This way, it will be easier and faster to get gratification from efforts, which can otherwise lead to frustration. It is also a popular belief that there is strength in numbers, that more heads are better than one. But I think that more than the number, commitment and the quality (for lack of a better term) of the minds at work are more important. A bunch of half-hearted wills (again, for the lack of a better term) is really quite useless when compared to a few who strongly believe in the same ideal.


I met with a small group of colleagues in efforts to continue pursuing an ideal, and I must say that enthusiasm is indeed contagious. I hope we can sustain this eagerness, as frustration, discouragement, and the lack of commitment are just as contagious.


With fresh minds joining in and with our optimism rejuvenated, I have high hopes that maybe, just maybe, this time it will finally work.