It seems to me that today’s society is becoming overly complex each day. Along with this complexity, life is stuffed with new things needed to purchase and old items to throw away. Life needs to be simple again and easy to handle for day to day tasks. I recently read a book by John Maeda called The Laws of Simplicity. Maeda created guidelines with ten simple rules or “laws” to follow to achieve a simpler lifestyle. From the first law of thoughtful reduction to the last named “The One,” it has provided me with a new view and approach on simplicity.

The Idea
After reading the book, I started thinking about simplifying my life to become more efficient. Unfortunately, with closer examination, I found out that I am the cause for making life complicated. There is no need for 10 pairs of shoes, purchasing actual CDs with cases and using packs of bottled water. By removing the unnecessary, life can be simpler and more efficient.

Reduce and Recycle
It is my belief that today’s world is more and more materialistic. Due to the incline in the need to consume more, the old is casted off into corners of closets or bottoms of landfills. The first steps for a simpler lifestyle is to reduce and recycle. This is not a new idea, just one that many have forgotten. For example, people during WWII recycled materials such as nylon, synthetic stockings, rags, raincoats, garden hoses, records to make tanks, ships, vehicles, guns and ammunition. However, since we now live within a world of excess goods and materials, the process of recycling is set on the back burner. What I’ve collected from my personal reduction of materials were sold or donated to others, which provided another incentive to recycle more.

Websites such as Freecycle or craigslist are easy ways to recycle goods that do not go straight to the trash. The idea of recycling does not always mean throwing away into recycling bins and waiting for the object to turn into something else. It is more useful if the object is given another life with someone else with the same or alternate purpose.

It is amazing how many things in life are unnecessarily complex. I believe the key to achieving simplicity has to be done through a conscious effort for efficiency and productivity. Simplicity is only successful if complexity is made to feel simple yet still have meaning. There needs to be a balance in between the two. When things become too complicated, take a step back and ask how it can be made simpler.  It is usually a better solution.