Keep it simple, stupid.

— Sam & Claire

P.S. Tense? Scattered? Feel like you've strolled too far down an AI k-hole? The free training below is probably for you. 

This week's rundown:

• 🏆 Get KISSed

• 🍏 Prompts for Simplicity

• 🍭 What We're Excited About

🏆 KEEP IT SIMPLE 🏆

Humans are cute. If you pretend you're an alien for a sec and zoom out, we are fascinating creatures to observe. 

We want at least 100 different options for any material item we buy and often scrutinize reviews for any purchase over $100. We want at least 5 other people to affirm that the vacuum we're considering is truly life-changing or hear that a nearby fitness class is literally giving hot girl summer before we sign up. 

It's almost like we enjoy making life more complicated than it needs to be.

So no matter what is on your plate this week, can you keep it simple?

THE FIRST USABILITY PRINCIPLE

Ask any usability designer what the golden rule is for making things people want to use and they'll tell you: simplicity. It's as true for a mobile app as it is for a rocketship. 

The easier something is to use, the more likely it will be adopted and engaged with. When we can quickly understand something, we trust it, and we move forward with it. There are a few variants to remember:

• Keep it short

• Keep it straightforward

• KEEP IT SIMPLE

FROM THE GREATS

If you feel personally offended by Regina George the KISS verbiage, then just take a look at how many masters have communicated the exact same thing in their own way:

• Occam’s Razor - “Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.” Or in wax-on wax-off terms, the simplest solution is most likely the correct solution.

• Leonardo Da Vinci’s – “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

• Antoin Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger - “It seems that perfection is not reached when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing left to take away.” Très chic.

IN PRACTICE

Why should you care about this? *News flash* You have limited time and energy. It may appear obvious, but is often difficult to accept.

The next time you're writing up a note, plan to give a presentation, or approach anything that involves multiple steps, see how you can apply this.

Can you limit your to-do list to just a few necessary things? And use a backlog for everything else? 

Can you eradicate any meetings from your calendar that don't really need your presence? 

Can you pop open a recipe book instead of scrolling TikTok when hunting for dinner inspo?

Reply to this with how you plan to keep it simple this week. We'd love to know + feature you in next week's edition.

🍏 PROMPTS FOR SIMPLICITY 🍏

1. What can you let go of this week?

2. What are the top three things you really need to do this week?

3. Where can you say no in your life so you can get these three things done?

WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT

1️⃣ Read: An epic opinion piece from NYT - Taylor Swift Has Rocked My Psychiatric Practice.

2️⃣ Listen: This episode on Marina Abramović's hypnosis-inspired performance pieces + 6 months in the Australian outback is...wild to say the least.

3️⃣ Try: This free training that explores how you can play with mindfulness to get the most benefits (better sleep, effective communication, zen-guru-level focus).

LET THIS SINK IN

That's a wrap. See ya next week! 

🖤 Your Local Boys - Sam & Claire

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