For any system to work at simplification, we have to give ourselves permission first to exclude things. When gathering requirements for…

Simplification is one of the holy grails of productivity and something so many people struggle with. There are a plethora of tools out there proclaiming to help simplify your life and your work yet they always fall short of what is promised. Why?

For any system to work at simplification, we have to give ourselves permission first to exclude things. When gathering requirements for software for example it is easy to identify what you want but much harder to say no you can’t have something. Giving ourselves permission to say no without guilt when we have reason to do so is empowering.

Give yourself permission to exclude external and internal demands on your time. Invest this precious and limited resource in places where the greatest gain is to come by your measure, not by someone elses.