This morning on my poetry blog, I posted the poem below:

Every. Thing.

Simple curved wood.
A few tacks.
Stain.
Shellac.

A place at the table
void of clutter.
A pair of pencils.

Enough.
No more.

In the next room a clock.
The pendulum swings silently.
Time is told.
No more.

Every.
thing.
tells you about
yourself,
about what is enough,
and if you poke at it,
why.

Simplicity and Minimalism are all the rage these days, but…

We are told how many books we should have, how to fold, what to cut out. The Ipod, that now nearly extinct music player that once dominated our life reduced a wall of audio equipment into a tiny little thing that fit in our pocket, with one of the great user interfaces of all time. In business circles, we are told to simplify, simplify, simplify, all while the world demands more and more for less and less.

I’ve been an advocate for simplicity for nearly thirty years. For the last twenty years, I’ve had a big sign over my desk that says “Simplify”.  I believe, from experience and research, that simplifying pays huge dividends in our lives and our organizations. It has become a specialty of mine, helping people and businesses simplify their life and work becoming more productive and joyful. Simplicity done well, works.

The key to simplifying is “Why?”. Why do we have “X”. And not just the practical why, but the why of the heart and soul. It’s not where most consultants and coaches start – they go for the practical. I go for the why. The heart.

Because if we don’t know the heart of why, any choice we make will never feel right. And any results we get will only be temporary. Numbers matter, but for long term change, the heart matters more.

Be well. Travel wisely,

Tom

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What can I do for you? 

If you want to simplify your personal life and move from where you are to where you want to be, consider taking advantage of my “three for free” coaching sessions. Three free sessions, no strings attached, to see if coaching is for you. Want to know more about coaching’s effectiveness before you contact me? Try reading this. 

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