Multiply or Simplify?

If life seems complicated and you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated it’s time to cut the confusion. To shave off all the excess and unwanted consider applying a type of Occam’s razor to your daily life.

Occam's razor - From Wikipedia
Occam's razor, is the principle that "entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily."
“The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory.”
“The simplest answer is usually the correct answer.”
“It has inspired numerous expressions including "parsimony of postulates", the "principle of simplicity", the "KISS principle" (Keep It Simple, Stupid), and in some medical schools, "When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras".
I was praying about the plan for the day and thinking of all I have to do and wondering how it could all ever get done. I seem to have more to do than I can do and it‘s very frustrating. So I was praying and asking God which of the multitude of things I should start on or if I should finish some of the things that I’ve started. Then I remembered, “The simplest answer is usually the correct answer.” Right now I have five cars in my household that need maintenance or repair some major and some minor. I also have motorcycles and other yard machines that need the same. Now the problem is the garage is a complete mess. Last year I got a wild hair and decided that I would remodel the garage. We started cleaning it out but the problem was I have too much stuff and work tools and no storage sheds were available so I had to stop and build a side wing on the garage. We put a bunch of the stuff under the house in the crawl space (of which the entrance also desperately needs fixed) and now it’s a hassle when we need our “stuff”. I put most of the tools in the wing but the garage seems to collect “piles” of stuff so it’s still a big mess. I wanted drywall it, but before I can do that I have to insulate it and before I can do that I have to fix the electric and before I can do that I have to find the time and money to do it and try to motivate people to help with some of it. I also work two jobs and now have side jobs and other people who want me to help them with stuff. My desk is piled with bills and I’m also working an online business. Life is very busy with four kids and the events just keep coming so what can I do? The list goes on and on and has already gone on too far and if you are relating I’m sorry. So I find myself praying and thinking and here are some questions for you too…

What things have you multiplied without necessity?

What assumptions have I made that make no difference?

What is the simplest answer?

Are you keeping it simple?

If life is complicated it’s because we have made it so, so simplify. We can try to do everything and accomplish almost nothing or we can just get one thing done. What would happen if you just got one thing on your list done every day or every week? Some things are necessary and you can’t avoid those but what things have you “multiplied without necessity?” If you get too many multipliers then the problem will soon be out if control – you know. So the simple solution is to simplify!
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Leonardo da Vinci

“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
Albert Einstein

Prov 13:7
A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.
MES