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This guest blog was co-authored by Cortney McDermott and Suzanne Pinckney, who together founded CHIME (formerly Sustainability Simplicated).  Suzanne previously co-founded social lending scheme, SLICE Finance, whilst Cortney previously served as an executive at Vanity Fair Corporation and Vice President at Sustainability Partners.  You can follow them @Suzanne_Chime and @McDermott_Chime.

There is no shortage of inspiration, signs of hope, and proof of the viability of the circular economy on this blog and in this community.  But before the inspiration is shared, the signs of hope drawn, and the viability proven, where does it all begin?

With you.

The primary challenge humanity faces is not planetary. It’s personal. And the primary challenge facing us personally is how we think. Our thoughts shape our reality, and ‘business-as-usual’ thinking has gotten us into a mess.

It’s time to reassess our thoughts about good design and good business. It’s time to reinvent the wheel.

As a circular economy change-maker, you know that.   So how do you think differently? And how does that move you from concept to action to global-scale change?

At Chime, the core of our thinking is a process we call simplicating.

Simplicating means deciding what not to do first – cutting away the unnecessary and then honing in on the issues, activities, strategies and actions that enhance value and create a better world.  It’s amazing what emerges when you start with carefully cutting away, rather than adding.

But we want to learn from you in the comments below.  Since how you think is what sets you apart, how do you make decisions about what not to do in a field of infinite possibilities? How do you ‘simplicate’ in your design challenges or in your everyday life?