Getting back to basics

After a tough year, it’s tempting to reinvent everything. New routines. New tools. New goals. More commitments. A new life. We tend to overreact to hard times with extreme measures. But recovering from a rough patch starts with getting back to basics.

"Getting back to basics" means returning to the simplest, most fundamental, and essential principles of something. When you get back to basics, you focus on the foundational activities that lead to success—however you define it. This concept can be applied to any part of life, from personal aspects to relationships to work.

Someone "getting back to basics" in personal life might simplify their schedule, reduce screen time, and focus on foundational physical health items like quality sleep, regular exercise, and mindful eating. A company might "get back to basics" by focusing on its most profitable products or recentering around its unique and differentiated value proposition.

When you’re winning, the basics fade into the background. You sleep enough, move your body, do meaningful work, and spend time with people you care about. You do these things almost without thinking.

Then something hard hits. A loss. A change. A stretch of stress. Your foundations erode. You sleep a little less. You say yes to more obligations and stop prioritizing the things that stabilize you.

Once you notice the change, instinct shouts, “I need a big change.” Instead, narrow your focus and rebuild your base. Two nights of quality sleep. 15 minutes of exercise. A block of focused work. A meaningful conversation with someone you care about (and who cares about you). Five minutes of quiet. Reflection.

Getting back to the basics is not a step backwards. It’s about catching your balance so you can take another leap forward.

Have thoughts on this topic? I'd love to hear from you on X or LinkedIn.