I just finished Mark Joyner’s simpleology on the 8-hour flight home today. I find it amusing that the process it took for me to read the book goes against the very nature of the book’s concluding principles. :)

From start to finish it took me about 30 days to read this thing.

I read for about an hour on a flight last month, another hour from my parents’ house 2 weeks later, and two more hours today to wrap it up.

Of course, along the way were countless distractions that took 100% of my attention away from the book’s message.

Each time I went back to pick up where I left off, I wasted time as I reread previous points I highlighted and attempted to refocus my attention.

The inevitable result is a dulled message and potentially life changing principles lost through infinite channels of distraction over the last 30 days.

Bottom line: I didn’t leverage the full power of my brain in reading this book.

Which is why I’m writing this immediately after closing the back cover (while fighting off the distraction of frequent flight attendant announcements and lazy people repeatedly pushing their call buttons).

simpleology sets out to explain why we HAVE the unique models of the world that we do. It explains how each of these models are defective, why we’re stuck in them, and how to step outside the matrix.

Admittedly, I was lost in some of the theory and psychology, but more importantly the PRACTICE of simpleology is clear .. the step-by-step process to living in simple efficiency & effectiveness through a bit of brainware reprogramming.

Being in the IT field for many years, I appreciated the comparison of computer hardware to brain hardware.

Computer Hardware Brain Hardware
CPU Your mental processing power and hardwired rules for processing.
RAM The amount of info you can process at once.
Hard Drive Your stored information, stored thoughts, stored memories, stored experiences.
Operating System Your model of the world.
Programs How you function in the world to obtain various ends.

When we attempt to multitask throughout our day, it’s like having 20 different windows open on our computer while playing music and watching a video at the same time. Obviously we’ll see a drastic impact on performance when we do that.

Reading simpleology was like running a virus scan on my infected hardware, and I look forward to the increased performance that will inevitably result from applying the following 5 laws:

Law #1: The Law of Straight Lines

“The shortest path between two points is a straight line.” Obviously. So why do we take so many detours between (A) where we are and (B) our goals/mission/calling in life? Get rid of anything that distracts, and take the simplest, most direct route.

Law #2: The Law of Clear Vision

In order to hit a target in life, you need to see it clearly. So many people (myself included) either never select a target or half-select a target. How can you get where you’re going if you don’t have a clear vision for where you’re going? (Action Steps: read “Visioneering” by Andy Stanley and create a “vision board” in your office)

Law #3: The Law of Focused Attention

In order to hit a target in life, you have to focus significant attention on it until you hit it. This goes for both daily tasks and long-term objectives. You can have a clear vision, but without focused attention you still won’t hit your target.

Think about yourself right now. Are you focused on something you don’t want? Are you focused on the wrong target? Are you distracted by simple diversions like TV and mindless entertainment?

Focus.

Law #4: The Law of Focused Energy

Like attention, you have to focus significant energy on your target. A sharp knife pokes better than a spoon because it’s energy is pinpointed. Be the knife.

Law #5: The Inescapability of Action/Reaction

You can never escape action and reaction. Things that are labeled “inaction,” such as sitting on your butt watching TV, are chosen actions with resulting reactions (mind programming, storing food as fat, effects of gravity on joints and muscles).

Stop performing actions that don’t bring about your desired results and start performing actions that do.

Start living by the 5 laws of simpleology and it’s clear that you’ll see a dramatic impact on productivity.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Note: One Day Later…

Those who know me well are aware that I rarely wake up before 9AM and I rarely start work before 10:30. Right now it’s 7:11 in the morning and I’ve already spent 15 minutes stretching and meditating (the God kind), run 3 miles, showered, eaten breakfast, and finished this blog post.

simpleology applied. It’s going to be a good day.

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Posted in Books, Business, Life | Comments (2)

2 Responses to “Life Optimization a la “simpleology””

  1. Tyron Says:
    Posted on November 5th, 2008

    more good insights…. i remember reading about your launch but hadnt followed you since, i am glad to have come across your blog. the subtle interwoven nuggets of Godly influence are inspiring for me…. thx for being a living epistle!
    see you at the top, Andy

    Tyron The Custom Dream Home Guy
    http://www.mydreamhomeforless.com


     
  2. Leo Says:
    Posted on January 25th, 2009

    I’ve read the book, but like many I’ve read before, after I finished the last page and put down the book, never gave it another thought. I’m inspired to read it again and this time actually put the ideas into action. Thanks Andy.


     

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