What goes wrong when you ignore that routine simplification?

The most common reason fails: Simplifying so aggressively that the routine no longer delivers the reward that closes the habit loop. If your meditation habit is simplified from twenty minutes to three breaths but three breaths never produces any sense of calm or completion, the reward signal disappears and the loop collapses. Simplification must preserve the minimum reward threshold — the smallest version that still generates enough positive feedback to reinforce the cue-routine connection.

The fix: Take the routine you defined and script-tested in L-1025. List every step on a separate line. Now mark each step as either essential (the routine would not deliver its core reward without it) or optional (improves the routine but is not strictly necessary). Cross out every optional step. Rewrite the routine using only the essential steps. Time yourself performing this simplified version. If it takes more than five minutes, look for one more step to eliminate. Practice the simplified version for one week before considering whether to add anything back.

The underlying principle is straightforward: Simpler routines automate faster than complex ones.