Not surprisingly, the definition of simplification is pretty simple—to make less complex or complicated; to make easier; or to reduce to fundamental parts. It’s something we strive for in our everyday personal and work lives to reduce stress and to help ensure we get things right.
Just think about, for instance, the coach of a pee-wee football team. The key to teaching children (and even adults in a different example) is breaking things down to the fundamentals. The coach teaches them to block and tackle, catch and throw, and properly “tuck” the football while carrying it, all before attempting to run complicated plays and formations. Once these young players master these fundamentals they can move on to the complex skills and strategy—dragging your feet at the sidelines to make a big catch or executing a perfect spin move that leads to a sack of the quarterback on a pivotal fourth-down play. These skills can lead to playing the sport at the highest level, but many coaches and players would tell you that always keeping in mind, and having an appreciation of, the fundamentals is the path to the greatest of successes. Not taking the foundational skills to heart will lead to nothing but disappointment. Just ask the Indianapolis Colts (Sorry, my wounds from this year’s AFC Championship Game are still fresh).