We're drowning in options. More apps, more content, more communication channels, more opportunities. We believe more choices mean more freedom, but often they mean more paralysis, more distraction, and less impact.
The Paradox of Addition
Our default response to problems is addition. Productivity problems? Try a new app. Feeling unfocused? Add another planning system. Not enough time? Add time-blocking to your routine.
But addition rarely solves problems caused by excess. You can't solve information overload by adding one more productivity system. You solve it by subtracting noise.
The Power of Subtraction
Every successful system, whether natural or designed, relies on subtraction:
Your work life improves through the same principle. Remove the non-essential to reveal the vital.
What to Subtract
**Tools**: You don't need twelve apps doing similar things. Choose one calendar, one note-taking system, one task manager. Mastery comes from depth, not breadth.
**Commitments**: Say no to everything that doesn't directly serve your 2-3 most important goals. Every yes to something marginal is a no to something meaningful.
**Information sources**: Unsubscribe from newsletters you skim but don't read. Unfollow accounts that don't meaningfully inform or inspire you. Leave Slack channels that don't require your participation.
**Features**: Use the basic version of tools. Premium features are often distractions marketed as improvements.
The 90% Rule
Before adding anything to your life—an app, a commitment, a subscription—ask: "Is this a 90% yes?" If it's not a "hell yes," it's a no.
This sounds extreme, but you're already saying no to thousands of things daily. This rule simply makes those nos conscious and strategic.
Simplifying Your Work
**One thing at a time**: Work on one project. When it's done, start the next. Multiple simultaneous projects fragment attention and slow everything down.
**One goal per day**: Choose the single most important thing to accomplish today. Everything else is secondary.
**One priority per season**: What's the main thing you're building this quarter? Everything should connect to that or get dropped.
The Amplification Effect
When you remove the marginal and focus on the essential, something remarkable happens: your impact amplifies.
You're not just doing less—you're accomplishing more of what matters. Your energy, time, and attention compound in a single direction instead of scattering across many.
Ten percent of your efforts likely produce ninety percent of your results. Simplification means identifying and doubling down on that ten percent.
Simplicity Isn't Easy
Simplification requires constant vigilance. Life naturally accumulates complexity:
Without regular pruning, your simple system becomes complex again. Schedule monthly reviews to ask: "What can I remove?"
The Space Between
Simplification creates space—in your schedule, your mind, your digital life. This space isn't empty; it's potential.
With space, you can:
Space is where insight happens, where creativity emerges, where you remember what you care about.
Starting Your Simplification
Choose one area to simplify this week:
**Digital**: Delete apps you haven't used in a month
**Physical**: Clear everything off your desk except current work
**Commitments**: Identify one recurring obligation you could end
**Information**: Unsubscribe from five newsletters
Simplification isn't a one-time project—it's a practice. But each cycle of subtraction makes your life a little clearer, your focus a little sharper, your impact a little greater.
In a world that profits from your distraction, simplicity is a competitive advantage. Master it.