The Ancient Art of Complication

Do you ever marvel at some people's uncanny ability to make the simple, complex?nThe straight forward, anything but?nnA ten minute task, a two week saga?nnI meet these people every day.nPlease stop sending them my way.nThey are the woe-is-me brigade.nThe Brothers (and Sisters) Grim.n(The real Brothers Grimm were two German dudes who published a bunch of folk stories and fairy tales about two hundred years ago... that's for those of you who aren't as old as me!!).nnYep, some people spend their whole lives making stuff complicated.nMore complicated than it needs to be anyway.nnRelationships... a constant soap-opera.nCareer... messy and problematic.nGetting in shape... a perpetual roller-coaster of losing and gaining.nFinances... a daily money melodrama.nnnIf you didn't know better, you might think that some people actually revel in the drama and attention.nnIn Australia we have a curious creature known colloquially as the 'Drama Queen'.nThey are both male and female and their natural habitat is... everywhere.nUnfortunately.nThey are the poster boys (and girls) for the art of complication.nThey are also another cousin of the Energy Vampire.nnI'm all for dealing with the (genuine) complications and the tough stuff that life throws at us, but I'm not for making things more difficult than they need to be.nOr making a mountain out of a molehill.n(So 1963 that expression... I love it).nnWhen people come to talk to me about getting in shape (dropping some weight for example), I will invariably give them some highly complex and extremely scientific advice:nnMove a bunch more, eat a bunch less.nGet yer heart rate up.nGet a bit sweaty.nDo it consistently.nSee ya next time.nnIt's very simple... but people still don't do it.nnThat look of disappointment on their face is hilarious.nThey think that I might let them in on some little-known scientific weight-loss secret.nGive them a shortcut perhaps.nA pill maybe.nnWave my magic wand.nPull a six-pack outa my hat.nn"Okay, here it is Mr Smith... put in less calories than you expend.. and you'll lose fat."n"Do it for long enough and you'll lose a buncha fat."nn"Too complicated for you?"n"Taking notes?"n"Should I talk slower?"n"Any questions?"nn"Mr Smith.. where are you going?"n"Mr Smith...?"n"Come back here fatty..."nnThe problem is that we don't actually want simple, we want painless.nAnd effortless.nAnd simple... ain't always painless.nOr effortless.nOr easy.nAnd we love... easy.nn(Dear English Profs, I know I shouldn't start all those sentences with 'And', so save yourself some key strokes).nnSome of the most effective (and simple) strategies for creating real change (in many areas of our lives), require us to get uncomfortable.nYes, it's uncomfortable but it's also kinda simple, straight forward.nnSome of us have an aversion to discomfort because we're spoiled, precious babies who want amazing results without the effort.nAnd amazing doesn't work like that.nGet your head around that concept and you'll make some progress instantly.nnWe are constantly looking for quick fixes and miracle solutions because we love shortcuts.nBut the reality is that shortcuts don't produce forever change and ironically, they (shortcuts) often lead to complications(!) down the track.nWeird huh?nnInterestingly, the more we don't deal with stuff (avoid discomfort, put our head in the sand, look for shortcuts), the more dysfunctional and the less capable we become.nIronic, when we consider that actually dealing with pain and discomfort is where the real growth and learning comes from.nnSome simple (uncomplicated) science for those who wanna drop a few pounds:n(Not that this post was meant to be about weight-loss... but I thought I'd chuck it in to demonstrate the simplicity of change).nn(1) Body-fat is essentially stored energy (calories).n(2) If you expend more than you put in, you'll be in energy deficit.n(3) If you're in deficit your body will have to 'find' some energy from somewhere.n(4) It will find it on your ass (or close by).n(5) If you are in energy deficit of 500 calories per day (a coke and a cookie), you'll lose about one pound (0.4kg) of fat per week.nnNot complicated at all.nnYes, there's a little more to it and a few other variables, but for the vast majority of us our key weight loss/management strategy should be to put less food in our mouth and move our body more.nFull stop.nnYet we continue to find new and exciting ways to complicate the process.nIn all areas of our lives.nnWhile the above information is more than enough 'science' to get most of us in shape or at least well on the way, we (we the society) continue to ignore the obvious (the simple) and keep trying to re-invent the 'weight-loss wheel'.nnForget the ab-blaster 7000, the fat-melting tabs, the liver-heart-kidney-pancreas-and-lung cleansing diets, the electrodey (yep, a word) things you stick on yer body... and yer high-carb, low-carb, no-carb debate and simply eat less crap.nnToo simple perhaps.nI dunno.nnWe also complicate things when it comes to relationships and communication.nSpending our lives not saying what we really think.nNot being honest.nNot dealing with problems.nNot making decisions.nnNot being accountable or responsible.nComplicating relationships and situations by putting our head in the sand and not doing the simple.nnA friend of mine always says:nn"Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow...."nnHis life is a disaster.nnUltimately we waste way too much time, talent, energy and life on issues which could have been resolved quickly, simply and effectively long ago. Then... when it all blows up (and it does) we 'react, cope and struggle' for months or years dealing with something that should be a distant memory.nnRecently I was talking with a friend of mine (yes, I have one) at a social event when another friend (alright, two) came up to chat.nn"Hey Craig.... we're all planning a four-day hike at Cradle Mountain over Christmas... are you up for it?"n"Nup.."n"Why not.."n"Don't wanna.."n"How come..."n"Well, I love you all... but I don't wanna spend my Christmas eating re-hydrated food and sleeping in tents with ten stinky people."n"Okay, lemme know if you change yer mind."n"Okay, see ya."nnThe hiking guy walked away and my other friend (a girl) turned and said:n"How can you say that?"n"What, the truth?"n"Aren't you scared you'll offend them?"n"It's not about them... it's about how I want to spend my Christmas."nn"I like them, I just have no desire to go hiking."nn"But if it was a cheese-cake eating festival..... "nnWe all do the 'complication thing' don't we?nI still do it... but not so often these days.nIt's kinda liberating when you just deal with stuff then and there.nDo what needs to be done.nSimply, quickly, effectively.nnStill being sensitive and caring towards others, of course... but choosing not to go the long way around.nChoosing not to complicate.nnSome people need to take a five minute trip... but they constantly choose to go via Anchorage.nBy foot.n(Do I have any readers in Alaska?)nnPeople always say to me....nn"I wish I'd embraced this mindset years ago.. my life would be completely different today.."nnSo why don't you stop complicating your life today?nOr perhaps you could think about it for a bit longer.