How to Stop Overcomplicating Things at Work - The Muse

How to Stop Overcomplicating Things at Work - The Muse How to Stop Overcomplicating Things at Work Unstoppable. That’s the word that jumped out at me when my colleague shared a Medium article titled, “30 Behaviors That Will Make You Unstoppable.” The article was basically just what I needed to get motivated this month. Truth be told, I’m less of a New Year’s resolution person and more the kind of person who seeks out new habits that’ll positively benefit myself, as well as the people around me. And that’s why #21- choose simplicity over complication- jumped out at me. This isn’t about taking the easy route or not embracing or seeking challenges; rather, it’s about not overthinking things, not overanalyzing those items that don’t need to be dissected. Too often, my habit is to overcomplicate or even just complicate matters that are undeserving of that response. In the office, it may mean accepting something at face value and not asking a million and one questions every time a process changes or a new task is given. Or when it comes to my work, it might mean participating in meetings when my feedback is requested and not overthinking every single thing that was said or noted to the point where I follow up on it later that night when I'm supposed to be unwinding at home. The thing is, life is complicated enough in and of itself, and when we insist on making this true about everything we do and say, we waste valuable time and energy. We stop ourselves from moving forward. I’m not saying that a curious mind isn’t a good thing, but I am saying is that it’s important to think before speaking. To listen and digest before acting. That’s choosing simplicity wherever possible. And that’s what I’m going to embrace this year. Photo of person courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.