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A Handy Thinking Tool to Help Simplify Your Life
Use Einstein’s Razor to focus your time, energy, and attention on what’s essential.
Albert Einstein once said:
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
This preference for simplicity shows in his famous equation E=MC2. Rather than settling for a complex, lengthy equation, Einstein boiled it down to its bare minimum.
And this approach is applicable well beyond scientific theories. You can use Einstein’s Razor to “cut away” any kind of unnecessary complexity.
When I write my articles, for instance, I use it to cut out any fluff. After I’ve finished the shitty first draft, I go over it several times and delete every redundant word.
My goal is to seamlessly transfer each idea from the text into the reader’s mind. And that happens when my texts are as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Here are some other examples of how to use Einstein’s Razor:
- Goal-setting: Instead of setting many goals, focus on just a few that are truly important.
- Habits: Rather than tracking tons of behaviors, use a Habit Calendar to track the most critical ones.
