Have you ever noticed things seem to get more complicated with time?

We like to think we become more efficient. On one side of the coin that’s true.

But on the other we continue adding more bells and whistles to the basic thing.

I get it: With time comes ingenuity. And with ingenuity comes technology. And with technology, well, we get bigger, fancier things.

The exterior design iPhone (like the one I’m using to write this) is a beautiful example of minimalism, an ode to Steve Job’s genius.

Beneath the outer shell lies complex hardware boasting more technology than they used to send Neil Armstrong to the moon. And to think it fits in your jean’s pocket.

Results are getting simpler but the things achieving those results far more complicated. Financial transactions happen seamlessly with the push of a button. We can access a limitless supply of information through any number of devices available.

But has life become any simpler?

What could be simpler than exchanging physical cash for a physical product?

And what about picking up a book you can see, smell, and feel to learn something? That’s pretty basic. That’s pretty un-complicated.

We’ve simplified the result but not the process of reaching it.

But that’s how things go. More cogs are needed for more complicated tasks that lead to more complex results.

I’m spilling these thoughts onto my phone while sitting in an ergonomic office chair (that holds my neck and spine perfectly as I leans back) with an electric adjustable desk that holds two monitors. It’s a far cry from when I started my first business with just my phone and a yellow legal pad.

But this isn’t a Gen-Y’er (probably saying that wrong) bemoaning the more simple times of the 90s or early 00s. I love my ergonomic office chair and my iPhone with all its useful apps. I’m just pointing out that life doesn’t get simpler as we go. Quite the opposite I would argue.

It’s a lot harder to subtract something than it is to add something. Subtraction demands focus and concentration. Our minds crave the reprieve of simplicity but rarely get it. I could suggest that instead of adding another app to optimize your life you switch to paper and pen instead. But maybe you need that app. Or you could change the color scheme on your phone to gray scale. But I like having as much color as possible in life.

How bout instead of thinking of overall limitation consider temporary exclusion. Put the phone down an hour before bed to let your mind relax. Pick up a book when you have a spare minute. Turn the podcast off and be okay hearing your own thoughts.