Who remembers the time before TV remote controls? I sure do. I can remember sitting two feet away from a small black and white set, turning the knob through 12 channels. I actually wore out one of the tuners. It didn’t help that I worked second shift and watched late at night. Many of the channels actually went off the air shortly after I got home.  I had to click through twelve to see what was going on on three of them. I think Johnny Carson used to be the last show then Tom Snyder came on board with “Tomorrow.” I think it was on from 1:00 to 2:00 a.m. A whole ‘nother hour of entertainment! Now, I think all the channels are on 24/7.

Remote controls aren’t just for TVs any more. They also run the TV recording devices, air conditioners, even gas fireplace inserts. For the fireplace, the remote adjusts the heat output, the flame height, the fan… amazing….

Great not to have to get up and walk across the room to adjust these things any more, isn’t it? But there’s a downside to these portable controls.

The other day I was sitting at my desk. On the corner was the TV remote, a wireless landline phone, a cell phone in a holster, and pocket-sized date book the same size as the phone. I don’t know how many times I reached out to change channels, make a call, check a message, or write a note… and grabbed the wrong tool! I tried to change channels with the phone, make a call with the TV remote, practice with a new cell phone while holding the date book, and jot down a note on the cell phone.

And I did it over and over. I just kept picking up the wrong thing to do what I wanted to do. Know what the problem was? It didn’t even bother me at first. It should have, but it didn’t.  Then it hit me. Crazy complexity had set in. And it bothered me that I didn’t seem to notice. In other words, it bothered me that it didn’t bother me!

How complex should we allow things to get before we do something to simplify? To the point of mind numbness? Complexity can creep into virtually everything we do. And living “off the grid” is hardly an option since we’re connected to so many important things in so many ways.

OK. Here’s my simplification plan. The TV remote will always be on the corner of the table and I’ll cut a “T” and “V” out of duct tape and stick them to the table where the remote belongs. The cell phone will stay plugged in near the front door. (I’ll tell people to try the landline first so I don’t have to run for it.) The landline phone will always stand upright, something none of the other items can do. And the notebook, well, since it’s the only one not designated in some special way, it should be easily recognizable by default.

I feel better already, just from putting this simplifying plan together! At this point it’s simply a matter of implementing the plan.

Now, has anyone seen my duct tape? My phone charging cord? My wallet? How ’bout my car keys?