As a yoga teacher, one of my creative roles is to design sequences for my yoga classes. I strive to design flow sequences that are accessible to all levels, staying away from complicated poses and transitions. Instead of including a single static balance pose, I often sequence several balance poses together, which leads to a longer time on one leg.
Most of the poses I include are what some would consider “basic.” Even my peak poses are in the realm of accessibility.
When teaching, I focus heavily on technique and alignment.
One of the most common pieces of feedback I hear from new students who attend my classes is
I never knew the basics could be so hard.
Whenever I receive that feedback, I know I hit my mark.
Hard vs Complicated
In fact, one thing I often remind my students during class is that the flow is hard, but it’s not complicated.
The poses themselves are not crazy “pretzel-twisting poses.” The transitions are straightforward. The sequence is easy to remember. Once we’ve gone through it once, students can flow through it. But that doesn’t mean its easy to execute.
My flows are hard in the sense that they are strengthening and require students to pay attention to what they’re doing.
Like all yoga, this distinction between hard and complicated applies off the mat as well.
Many things we do — or need to do — in our work or business, in relationships, in any part of life — are hard, but they aren’t necessarily complicated.
Smart people often trip themselves up by adding complexity to something that isn’t actually that complicated or by confusing “hard” and “complicated.”
A Matter of Perspective and Experience
Of course, what’s hard and what’s complicated can depend on your perspective and experience.
For example, a deadlift isn’t complicated. Whether it’s hard depends on your strength level and the load on the bar.
On the other hand, a barbell snatch is a more complicated technical movement that can be easy or hard, depending on your strength and the load on the bar.
Cooking a big dinner for a group isn’t necessarily hard, but timing everything to be ready at the right time might be complicated. On the other hand, if you regularly host dinner parties, you’ll start to see some patterns that help you simplify the logistics.
When you first learned how to drive a car, it likely felt complicated. Over time, you brain chunked together many of the discrete steps you take to start a car and drive, simplifying the process.
If you’re getting stuck in implementation, it’s important to get clear on whether the thing you’re trying to do is complicated, hard, or both.
The Right Solution Depends on the Problem
To find the right solution for getting unstuck, it’s crucial to get clear on whether you’re stuck because of difficulty (hard) or complexity.
Complicated and hard are different types of problems that require different solutions. Often, we try to fix “complexity” by making the job “easier.” But “easier” doesn’t give us the stimulus we need to grow, and it’s often unfulfilling.
The Solution For “Hard”: Skills, Strength, and Support
If something is hard, it is likely because you lack skill or strength. You may need to learn how to do it, build your capacity (strength), or get support.
For example, you may have perfect form in your deadlift, but if you max out at 150 pounds, 200 pounds is not going to happen. You need to build your strength to successfully lift 200 pounds.
Writing a book isn’t complicated, but it can be hard. It might require improving your writing skills or your ideation process, or working with an editor.
The Solution For “Complicated”: Simplicity and Systems
On the other hand, the solution for complexity is simplicity and systems.
The more discrete steps something has, the more you introduce potential for complication.
The individual steps might not be hard, which is why making the task easier generally doesn’t help. It’s the sequencing and logistics that make it complicated — at least at first.
It’s important to note here that “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy”. Something can be simple and hard.
Most things that are complicated become less complicated with repetition and experience, as you gain facility with the movement and sequencing.
A barbell snatch becomes less complicated when you learn the proper techniques.
In the dinner party scenario, making “easier” dishes doesn’t necessarily remove the timing complexity. What helps here is systems. Determine what you can make in advance or what can be served at room temperature.
When something is complicated, it helps to chunk it down to keep it simple. Take it one step at a time.
Where Are You Stuck?
Take a look at one area where you feel stuck, and apply this framework to it.
- Are you stuck because the tasks is hard, complicated, or both?
- If it’s hard, what skills, strength or support do you need?
- If it’s complicated, how can you simplify it? What systems can help you?
It’s also worth asking yourself: is it truly complicated, or are you making it more complicated than it needs to be?
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