Harnessing the Power of Less: How Simplicity Trumps Information Overload

At one of America’s busiest hospitals, resources were stretched thin and hundreds of patients filed through the emergency department daily. Doctors faced a constant flood of data—patient histories, test results, subtle symptoms. Yet with chest pain, life-or-death decisions were often based on individual hunches, with little agreement or efficiency. As a result, critical cases were sometimes missed, while many healthy patients were unnecessarily admitted, chewing up precious beds and staff time.

Enter the Goldman algorithm: a streamlined set of rules scientifically designed to cut through the noise. Rather than considering every tiny detail, the approach focused on a handful of urgent risk factors. The transformation was stunning—diagnostic accuracy soared, doctors felt less overwhelmed, and patient outcomes improved. Over time, the hospital posted the checklist for all to see, trusting the power of less to outperform the drag of information overload.

This isn't just a medical story. Behavioral science shows that in situations teeming with complexity, adding more and more variables can actually hinder good judgment. Many organizations and individuals feel more confident with excess information, but that confidence rarely translates into better outcomes. Simplicity—when systematically and wisely applied—yields quicker, more accurate, and more confident decisions.

Next time you're faced with a mountain of information and a tight deadline—maybe at work, during a tough class, or when planning a big event—challenge yourself to isolate just three or four factors that really move the needle. Give yourself a firm time limit to stop collecting more data. Build a checklist or simple rule for future use, and over the coming weeks, see how focusing on the key drivers improves your speed and judgment. The more you practice sifting for essentials, the less likely you are to drown in details.