Why Subtracting Before You Add Is the Smartest New Year Strategy
ove the new year. To me, it feels fresh with possibility.
New goals.
New commitments.
New things to learn.
All good things.
But this year, before I add anything, I’m starting somewhere else.
Instead of asking What do I want to accomplish?
I’m asking a simpler question:
What am I ready to stop carrying?
Not because something is wrong. But because I’m refining how I want to live the year.
I want more energy to for the things I already love. And I know that won’t come from adding more. It comes from choosing more carefully.
So I’m subtracting first.
I’m sharing work that drains my energy instead of holding it all myself.
I’m automating processes that steal my time.
I’m putting a few good commitments on pause so I can go deeper in the ones that light me up!
For Christmas, I asked for outside help to clean our house. A tidy environment is one of the fastest ways I know to focus my attention on my priorities. There’s something about fewer dust bunnies and less visual clutter that instantly makes life feel lighter. (Highly recommend.)
None of this feels like quitting.
It feels like design.
When we don’t subtract before we add, growth quietly becomes overload.
Focus scatters.
Energy thins out.
The things we care most about start competing with each other.
But when you intentionally remove friction – tasks, expectations, or roles that no longer need you something shifts.
You accomplish more in other areas and enjoy the process of getting it done.
You show up with more patience.
And momentum builds without extra pressure.
Subtraction isn’t about doing less for the sake of it.
It’s about protecting what matters most.
Try this:
Before committing to new goals, ask yourself: What’s one thing I could share, simplify, or stop—just to make this year feel lighter?
A question to sit with:
What are you still carrying that no longer needs your energy to survive?
You don’t need a total life overhaul to start the year well. Because, sometimes the most powerful move is deciding what you’re done carrying so you can show up with more energy where it matters.
Here’s to a thoughtful re-entry into the year ahead.
Warmly,
Laurie
