To live is to engage in what seems to be a perpetual fight against the clutter and complication that naturally fills our world.

We may clear space around the edges, or even completely sort through the metaphorical wardrobe. But unless we are intentional about it pretty soon the clutter will return.

In this episode of the podcast I consider 4 areas where we see the incremental and gradual influence of clutter. I explore our tendency to move beyond simplicity and how we may begin to complicate things if we are not fully self-aware.

Health

Health, fitness, exercise, all of that stuff is quite simple in its essence. If you want to get fit or lose weight then the goal and the means don't need to be complicated. You just need to exercise and eat well.

But soon things might get complicated. Your exercise goals might require more complex equipment and skills. You may read conflicting advice about nutrition and exercise. What one person says is the best way to lose weight is contradicted by someone else. Pretty soon you don’t know who to believe. Before you know it health and fitness feels complicated and overwhelming.

Business
Businesses need to grow. This is the primary aim of many, especially if they have shareholders or investors to satisfy. As they seek new ways to develop and progress there is a very real risk of clutter and over-complication of products, projects and endeavours.

Social Media
We’ve all seen the clutter that emerges on social media platforms. They can move away from their primary purpose and orchestrate the beginning of their own demise.

Blogs/Podcasts
If you’re a blogger or podcaster then you may recognise the mental clutter of all the potential tools and systems you can employ. If you're running a website you may become obsessed with developing strategies for productivity and sharing, adding plugins, and keeping up with the latest updates in the online world. We can become so busy with these things that our minds become stretched, overwhelmed, and cluttered by all the possible options.

Over to You
Can you think of anything else that is simple at its core but has become complicated by time and/or human meddling?