“Limiting your options can be a very inspiring thing.”

-Trent Reznor

In a world of infinite possibilities, set limitations on yourself. Create boundaries or guide rails for yourself. You will find that, by intentionally limiting your options, you will be forced to be more creative. 

I remember hearing Anthony Bourdain explain that anyone can cook a perfect piece of filet mignon well, but it takes real skill to cook the cheap, tough meats that no one wants. 

Seth Godin has written a blog post a day for many years, but he doesn’t use pictures, hashtags, keywords, or any of the other features of his blog platform. He says that he has twenty six letters and one page to work with and that’s all. 

In Fugazi, on all of their albums and at every one of their live shows, Ian MacKaye played a Gibson SG through a Marshall amp with no effects pedals, ever. 

John Danaher, the best jiu-jitsu coach in the world, teaches six main submission systems based off of the highest percentage techniques in the sport. 

Having too many options gives us an excuse to not be creative. Options are a distraction. Limitations force creativity. 

Next time you are creating something, instead of getting overwhelmed by the possibilities, set limitations for yourself. Try painting with only three colors. Write a blog post in only seven lines. Make a meal with five ingredients. Whatever you are doing, start by intentionally limiting your options and see what comes out of you. You may find it frustrating or confusing at first, but over time, without as many decisions to make, you will find that it actually frees you up to do better work, and to enjoy the process more.