Remember in school we were taught the KISS principle? Keep It Simple, Stupid.
This truism is TRUE in every aspect of life. AND, Simple actually translates to Happy, too.
I started working on this post to see if I could find some research on the topic to support my long held personal beliefs. Here is what Harvard Business Review has to say on the topic:
How Simple Rules Make It Easier to Act
Complex situations create many possible courses of action, which can confound employees on the front line. A recent body of research by psychologists demonstrates that when faced with a superabundance of alternatives, people are afraid of making the wrong choice. As a result they delay decisions, default to the safest option, or avoid choosing altogether. (You can read the entire article here: Simple Rules for a Complex World )
That’s a business example above. It works in personal health as well. I’m in the process of having colon surgery. My wonderful gastro doc talked about 2 simple options to discuss with my surgeon, and I came up with an alternate choice. The choice I want to make was easy to pick. But imagine what could have happened if my doctor had tried to discuss 15 options with me.
The same would be true if:
you are trying to decide on a college
which home to buy
which dog to rescue from the shelter
So, for your ultimate happiness, the next time you need to decide, remember to KISS.
