Here’s a life lesson that took me far too long to learn: things don’t have to be complex to work.

Like most people I know, I’m always on the lookout for the next bright, shiny object. What new app, product, gadget, or gizmo will make me more productive?

But often times these new fascinations of mine don’t make me more productive, thinner, happier, or more successful.

Bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Endless to-dos, multiple complicated steps, countless moving parts—yuck! It’s enough to make me want to curl up into a ball and hide under the covers forever.

Now I follow a sweet little acronym that helps me focus when I’m distracted by the new “it” thing.

I just give myself a KISS—Keep It Simple, Sister!

Simple routines, simple meals, simple software, simple organization. It works without being overwhelming.

When I first started my coaching practice, I got the top-of-the-line CRM system (bright, shiny object). It did it all: shopping cart, list management, email newsletter, marketing campaigns, vacuuming the house. OK, so not that last one, but it came pretty close.

In the 8 months I used this system, I probably took advantage of only 20% of all the bells and whistles it offered. The setup and maintenance were complex, and I don’t yet have a team of minions to punch buttons for me all day. (Soon….)

I was often frustrated with how complicated it was and how it ate up all my time…time I should have been devoting to my clients.

In January, I said decided enough was enough and made a conscious choice to make my business a simpler, more minimalistic one.

Now I use a no-frills email/list-management tool and my orders go through PayPal. My time has been freed up too so I can publish blog posts more often, thus serving more people.

Simple, simple, simple!

And here’s the best part—I’m attracting more good things to me because I’m feeling better about my simplistic approach. My January income doubled what it was in December, and my February income doubled again. Whoa.

Is there something in your life that feels too complex?

• A complicated diet or fitness program (try this instead!)
• A controlling relationship where the other person makes all the rules
• A stressful job that makes you want to pull your hair out
• A smart phone that your teenage daughter can understand but you still can’t figure out how to check your voicemail
• A house so full of junk and clutter that you haven’t seen the surface of the dining room table in years

You know what to do. It’s time to keep it simple, sister!

What can you do to make your life simpler?

What simple changes have you made?