January has a way of doing this to us.

New goals.
New initiatives.
New habits.
New apps.
New strategies.

Somewhere along the way, your “fresh start” quietly turns into more.

More meetings. More priorities. More noise. More pressure. More Stress

Sound familiar?

Very few of my coaching clients are struggling because they aren’t doing enough.

Most are struggling because they’re just doing too much of the wrong things.

Clarity Doesn’t Come From Adding. It Comes From Removing

We’ve been taught to believe progress is about accumulation.
Stacking more skills.
Adding more tools.
Saying yes more often.

But real, sustainable progress usually comes from subtraction.

Start removing
• Distractions that dilute your focus
• Commitments that no longer align with your goals and values
• Habits that once served you, but like an old computer, now slow you down
• Mental clutter that keeps everything feeling urgent and stresses you out

When everything is important, nothing actually gets the attention it deserves.

The Hidden Cost of Clutter

The hidden cost of clutter isn’t just physical. It’s mental, emotional, and organizational, and it directly impacts your ability to be an effective leader.

It shows up as
• Projects that linger on and on without ownership or accountability
• Meetings that exist because they always have, and only to schedule the next one
• Goals that sound good but don’t move the needle
• Expectations that were never clarified but somehow still frustrate everyone

Over time, clutter creates friction, drains energy and makes leaders reactive instead of intentional. Worst of all, it convinces smart, capable people that they’re falling behind, when in reality, they’re just overloaded.

Subtraction Is a Leadership Skill

Strong leaders aren’t the ones doing everything.

They’re the ones who can say confidently
“This no longer matters.”
“This isn’t the best use of our time.”
“This is a distraction from our real priorities.”

That takes confidence.
It takes clarity.
And sometimes, it takes disappointing people in the short term to serve the bigger picture in the long term.

Here’s the payoff for leaders who learn to subtract
• Less noise
• More focus and intention
• Better decisions
• Stronger execution

A Simple Quarter Turn, just what way is should be.

Instead of asking,
“What should I add this year?”

Try asking,
“What needs to be removed?”

Then get specific
• One meeting to eliminate, shorten, or delegate
• One commitment to pause or end
• One habit that creates more stress than value
• One goal that sounds impressive but isn’t essential

You don’t need a massive overhaul.

One thoughtful subtraction can create the space for everything else to work better.

Clarity Creates Momentum

When you remove the clutter, a few things happen almost immediately.

Priorities get clearer.
Energy returns.
Decision-making speeds up.
Progress feels great instead of forced.

Final Thought

Before you add another goal, another initiative, or another commitment take a pause.

Look at the weight you’re already carrying.

And ask yourself
“What would happen if I put something down?”

Chances are, that’s where your clarity is waiting.

 

Until next time Cheers to you and your continued success, and working on your subtraction skills

One Quarter Turn at a Time

Coach Tim