Beauty Out Of Simplicity

Simplicity is the key to beauty. One of the most fundamental principles of design is simplicity. It is no coincidence that the biggest companies and brands, the ones that have the most memorable logos, employ this tactic. The elegance of simplicity is that it leaves a lasting impression because, despite your intuition telling you that something so basic shouldn't work, it does. This very simplicity was the foundation of one of the greatest soccer teams ever – Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

This month, the documentary "Take the ball, pass the ball" based on Guardiola's tenure at Barcelona was released worldwide. In the span of four years (2008-2012), Guardiola led the Catalan team to a total of fourteen major trophies, making him the most successful coach in the 120 years of the club's existence. How did he achieve that? The answer, surprisingly, lies in the title itself.

As with anything in life, in order to excel at something, it is imperative to have a strong foundation. The simplest, most basic action in the entire game is that of passing the ball. Not shooting, dribbling, or heading, but passing. Each misplaced pass is a wasted opportunity, and gives away the ball to the opponent, thus increasing the risk of conceding a goal. Thus, by obtaining mastery over the fundamentals, one can then move onto the more advanced stages.

The majority of sports is focused on pressuring the opponent into making a mistake. However, being calm under pressure minimizes the amount of mistakes you'll make, thus resulting in greater success.

Another factor that contributed to the success of this historic team was that they maintained possession of the ball. Going back to the mistake principle, if the opponent does not have the ball, then it is unlikely they can force you into making errors. In order to accomplish this, it is essential to keep the ball moving constantly. Take the ball, pass the ball. Never stop, never stay still.

The rapid passing movement of the players and the ball of this team is a metaphor for how one should approach life. Keep things constantly moving around, don't stop to rest. Regardless of whether you are ahead, you must keep pushing forward, otherwise, the pressure will catch up to you.

What is the objective of sports? To entertain, to provide memories and happiness. Most importantly though, amongst so many other alternatives, what makes something stand out is how memorable it is. Here's where the simplicity comes into play, again. The more elementary something is, the easier it is to remember. In a sport where game plans can become extremely complicated, a simplistic approach provides a fresh overview of the sport. Not only that, but it etches it into your memory.

So go forth, and reduce the complications of everyday life. Make it simple, master the basics, and watch yourself succeed. Don't try to take on too much at once. Make it memorable.

It makes no sense. Something so simple shouldn't work. And yet, it does. And it works like magic, grabbing the attention of anyone watching. It creates something beautiful.