Sometimes the fastest way forward is by cutting back.

Highlights:

• The trap of piling on more goals when your plate is already full.
• Common “small negatives” that erode connection at home—screens, alcohol, quick yes’s, passive jabs.
• Why eliminating what drags you down works better than predicting what will lift you up.
• Insights from Tim Ferriss, Greg McKeown, and Nassim Taleb on the art of subtraction.
• Removing marriage habits that create distance and start opening space for real connection.

Takeaways:

1. Stop adding goals when you’re overloaded—focus on cutting the obvious negatives first.
2. Subtraction frees up energy, time, and presence in your work and family.
3. “What you don’t do” can be the clearest path to growth.

When you think about what’s next in your life, start by asking: What don’t I want?