My kitchen faucet has been dripping for...um...an embarrassingly long time.
You had to get the handle in JUST the right place for it to stop.
What stopped me from looking deeper into the issue is that I believed it was complicated to fix.
You see, I had a plumber at my house working on another project.
And before he left, he asked if there was anything else he could help with.
I showed him the faucet.
He proceeded to talk about deconstructing the whole system, unearthing the innards, and carefully soaking bits and pieces in vinegar overnight.
In fact, it was so complicated that it was outside of the scope of the plumber's visit, and I'd have to book another appointment if I wanted him to do it!
So it occasionally dripped...over and over again.
Until this morning.
I woke up, determined with unexpected energy to finally tackle the great beast.
I searched through my paper trail to find the faucet's manual: no luck.
I browsed through hundreds of faucets in the Delta catalog online trying to find the right one, and I never did.
And then I did what we've been doing for over 20 years...a simple Internet search.
It turns out that I only had to remove three pieces and replace one of them with a simple universal part that's used in most Delta faucets.
A round trip to HomeDepot, $40, 20 minutes of work, and it was FINALLY FIXED!
Huzza!
The moral of the story?
A professional told me that it was complicated to fix, and I believed him.
Of course I did! Why wouldn't I?
Here's what I missed: when faced with complexity from people that we *perceive* to have the answers, there may be a simpler and more elegant solution.
So instead of taking information that you receive at face value from a professional, manager, boss, or even a direct report...if it appears surprisingly complex, take a brief pause, breathe, and then ask yourself, "is there a simpler way?"
May your day be filled with simpler and elegant solutions.