I often find myself saying “KISS”, both to myself and to others. It’s one of my favorite acronyms and I strongly believe in the KISS principle.
It literally stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” The word stupid, in this case, isn’t meant in a harsh way, but rather to emphasize the folly in overcomplicating things. You might know the expression, but do you know the origin? It was originally coined by an aircraft engineer at Lockheed and became a design principle referenced by the US Navy as early as 1960. It has since become widely adapted, because the tendencies to overcomplicate things and the benefits of keeping them simple are universal. For my purposes, particularly since I’m usually saying it to myself, I changed it to, “Keep it Simple, Sister!” Same idea; just my preference.
When I started my business eleven years ago, I clearly remember my Dad (an entrepreneur) telling me, “Col, remember KISS” as I was navigating the start-up phase. My Mom used to always say to us growing up, “Life is simple; it’s people who complicate it.” I definitely have been guilty of complicating things and making things way more difficult for myself than they need to be. This year I am really trying to stay focused and intentional in 2015, and I’m going to keep their advice front and foremost and use KISS as a guiding principle.
Honestly, when we simplify, everything is easier. I often talk to others who are paralyzed because they overcomplicate their lives and need to have all the details in place before moving forward. To them I say, “KISS, Baby!”
We all can relate this to our own lives. It is applicable to our household, our possessions, our commitments, our businesses, our friendships, our time, our focus, really anything! I know I can improve on this and I feel being aware is one more step in the right direction.
Do you believe in the KISS theory too? How has it helped you?
