Subtract

i also like limitations. especially in music. limit myself so i can create within specified confines. there are so many possibilities. nice to set boundaries. along with subtracting.

Right as usual. I am in the process of doing with less. Problem I'm having is trying to get rid of all those things I accumulated.

Hear hear!

I believe that the 4 real currencies in life are - Time, Money, Health and Mobility.

ADDING will rob you of Time and Mobility.
SUBTRACTING will give you more Time and Mobility.

--Tiger
@tigerbuford

Less is always better.

I really appreciate getting this! I feel like it came to me at the exact time I needed it. Just yesterday I was asking myself “what do I need to do to do more of what I love”? I started adding all of these things that I “needed” to do that kind of took away from what I really want to do. I find for me it’s about quality. Why crowd your life with situations that use up your time and don’t truly add to where your heart wants to be. Great excerpt! I’m looking forward to hearing more!

I agree.

That's VERY COOL!

Perfect timing Derek. I have been giving this change in attitude much consideration. I like the concept. Thanks for pointing it out.

100%

Well put from my prospective Derek.

Hey old friend,

You might be the only newsletter I'm subscribed to but I opened every. single. time. Succinct and simple genius nugget as usual. Subtraction is essential to maintaining balance. May I please share?
☺ Of course! Says in huge letters at the bottom: “Copy + share: sive.rs/subtract” Thanks! — Derek

Very true and succinct, about two years ago I started donating or discarding anything I had not touched or used in the last 6 months and made myself donate or discard something prior to a purchase which was rather liberating (for lack of a better word...

I'm very nostalgic and always hang on to everything while my wife is always throwing things out. Recently I've been embracing her attitude and it's incredibly freeing to get rid of all the crap that can build up in our lives. Years ago I stood with a friend of mine as we shoved items over the edge into a landfill. He was giddy with the joy of it and it was contagious.

Minimalism is sanity. To be prosperous is something many of us have been engrained with since birth, or even before if your DNA lineage leans toward more.
Complaining about having to manage the “Stuff” and feeling like a slave to take care of it all can be looked at as a good problem from the perspective of a “have not”.
So asking for prosperity, getting it, then being unhappy with the responsibility, confusion, disorganization and even clutter can cause unhappiness. Either way, have or have not, we feel psychotic 😳

I recently subtracted all my hobbies and extra curricular activities from my life, at least for now. I was at a 17, but aiming for 10, by adding.

I was in the habit of being in habits. I was not making time in life for life to happen. So I had to reset to get myself out of the way of myself, to live in the moment and not the schedules, routines, expectations of myself. To just be. And be happy.

This piece written by Derek is quite a synchronicity for me.
Heed this advice,I wish I had heard and listened to it sooner.

yep.

Well said!! I have been working on a recording project, but have actually spent more time shopping for new instruments rather than just recording with the ones I have. Having the new instruments would be nice, but then I have to sell the old instruments to pay for the new instruments. When in fact, I could just record the instruments I have, and with the wonderful digital recording tools, make everything sound great.

Great article your writing always inspires me

In a way yes. My view is, it is now pushing to the edges. Either you get less and less and eventually deprived. Or you able to gain and gain and gets too much of it. It is to get the balance of how one's able to gain without deprive the rest eventually. I personally skeptical there are more people die from eating too much comparing to those die from eating too little or nothing to eat. But it is true that more die from eating too much per se from where I am. Yet there's also many deprived from proper nutrition.

When Live Looping, after adding layers and layers of intricate sonic depth, often the best part of the song is dumping all the layers except the starting riff - ahhh, the simple core. that's kinda how I relate your point to my current art. Am I close to understanding?
☺ Good metaphor. In music, we're often looking for the variety. Add and subtract the layers so we can hear how they fit. — Derek

Thanks Derek.

Love this because it’s true. I’m also reading Essentialist which references you and the “Hell Yeah, or Mo”

That's really true Derek.

Some analogies,

1. Longevity :
We live longer not by eating more and adding more healthy foods and supplements . It's just through subtraction. Intermittent fasting/calorie restriction .

2. Exercise :
once a week, high intensity and less than 15 minutes. ( From the book : body by science, by Doug McGuff MD )

3. Happiness :
Subtracting unnecessary material possession.

Anyone who enjoys this post also enjoys this:

In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew May

www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Elegance-Ideas-Something-Missing-ebook/dp/B00296SVTA

Enjoy

Yes!!
I remember your interview with Tim Ferriss. That is where I first heard your "'Hell yeah or No".
Time is sooooooo precious these days!! I often gave away my time over the years because I liked to help people. After realizing what I want to accomplish while on this spinning rock I've been subtracting and removing obstacles. I've been using your 'hell yeah or no' because it is such an easy way to train oneself to keep distractions at bay.

Regards,
Rich
Former Kimo Williams student
Cheers!

Here are some 'subtractions' that i love:

1. Finally reading a book that's been sitting on my shelf over a year. Then giving it away.
2. Making something in my wood shop with leftover wood. Then using up half-filled cans of paint.
3. Deciding to NOT buy a material thing.
Thanks for the concrete (and wood) examples! — Derek

I recently moved from a large single family house in Nashville to a small apartment in DC and have had to subtract. And it is not so bad. Much of what I had more of were things I was going to use someday but never did. So, not they are gone and no longer hanging over my head.

Thanks

Hey man!

Thank you. You are yet to write a post that does not impact me.

You rock.

During my divorce last summer, I found myself camping for 98 days while I waited for my settlement check. I stored a small amount my belongings and kind of practiced minimalism to survive. As the weeks went by the struggle was hard, but I was getting very happy about the little things; eating a fresh sandwich, taking a hot shower, etc. I had no choice, but to maintain a positive attitude every day, all day long. I subtracted and got happier. I am now in my new apartment and all straightened out and I make sure I keep the amount of my stuff down to a modest amount. It's my new kind of "happy." I agree 100%, Derek. Thank you.

Love it Derek. Looking forward to the book.

I agree with your conclusion 100%. But I think the analogy you’re using here implies a motivation that may not be as powerful as it could be.

Your example of trying to get to “ten” made me picture having just enough—not too much, not to little. While balance is good, I feel much more excited at the idea of becoming *more* of who I am. Not so much focused on balancing myself out as delving deeper into a purer version of me—letting go of all the things which are not me in order to be only me. Going for 20. Infinity.

I don’t have to be balanced. I just have to be. Balance will come as a result.

Babies have better spinal alignment than adults. As we grow and pick up habits and tensions, our alignment gets worse and we become out of balance. Babies don’t even try—they just are, and so they are balanced as a result.

This chapter may be more compelling if you focus on the motivation of being more fully ourself rather than being balanced.

I hope that’s helpful!
Your fan,
Nathan

Thanks for this Derek. Will apply this to a project I've been stagnating on and all future projects heading into 2019. Too often we overcomplicate things.

Minimalism in a nutshell.

Buying things to impress the people that we don’t care about.

We don’t need anything because we already have ourselves.

Substracting is hard for a lot of people because escpecially now that we live in an Information Age where what most people do is consume content.

I love the main concept. I’d like to hear clearer advice.

Totally agree! I hope there will be more of a focus on this develop amongst society.

Wow, I´m like concern about this article, because It´s difficult for me to imagine what subract in life is. Like What is that? what does that means? Where can I begin doing that?. On the other hand I know, and that´s what I´ve doing, what to add is.. add more value, more skills, more strategies, more patience, more, more and more that I´m tired. Does this apply? or is just material?

Been an “adder” my whole life. One of my Doctors once told me sometimes less is more. I wanted more chemotheray to keep adding and fighting..Fortunately, we stopped Chemo and I was able to survive treatment and beat cancer.

Perhaps one detail that may not be applicable to all but gives some more direction - some things you might want to subtract are those things you only started to care about after puberty that fall into the category of "what other people think". Some things you might want to add back, if you're looking for inspiration, are those things you used to love but stopped doing around the same time.

Hey Derek!

Regarding the "eating too much vs too little" claim. Do you have data to back that up?

According to the UN malnutrition/hunger causes 3.1M deaths in children under 5 per year (www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/) and I'm not finding much data about the obesity (eating too much) claim besides this: www.factcheck.org/2013/03/bloombergs-obesity-claim/
class="response">I don't, no — Derek

"More people die from eating too much than eating too little" - funny and so true.

For the past 2 weeks or so I'm trying intermittent fasting (www.google.com/search?q=jame+clear+intermittent&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab) to try to reduce my weight.

I discovered that I didn't die by skipping the breakfast, and generally not putting anything in my mouth till 1pm.

It's a wonderful sensation to eat when I'm only truly hungry. I could eat a lot and still feel not bloated.

(I fear even this is not real hunger. Like what Louis CK says, it's just a feeling of hunger. What we call as hunger is just disrespectful to real poor people who can't afford even the basic needs.

It also didn't affect my ability to workout heavy in the gym in the morning, and focus on important sideprojects.


---

Also subtracting is a theme closely related to simplifying I guess. When you can't find a simplified solution to life's problems it feels amazing.

Example:
Weight training - ditch conventional wisdom of split training or protein-lands and just do the 5 exercises (3 on any given day) that Mehdi of Stronglifts says. It's liberating and lifechanging.

Habits - Don't fight it with the willpower sword. Cheat by requiring no willpower. Use environmental cues to affirm your new goals and habits. (Print your goals in a paper and stick them in your home), Make it easy to do good habits and hard to do tough habits. (See James Clear's book on these).

Scott Adams advice for being fit is literally - "be active daily".

Steve Pavlina came with this beautifully simple abstraction of the whole self-development thing like so: Truth, Love, Power and their combinations. (See Derek's book notes on his book)

As always thanks Derek for the wonderfully concise post.

Here's a thought for you. I just (re-read) Scott Adams' great advice on good writing and humor writing (google 'em pls). I see that your writing follows his general advice on how to become a better writer.
But could you try to up the humor thing a little in your writing? (well this is definitely not 'subtracting')

Hi Derek, great thoughts, and I especially love you last line, "subtracting reminds me that what I need to change is something already here, not out there." So true! In my " day job" as a Marriage, Family Therapist I often bring up the question, "What do you need to let go of in your life, so that you make room to add in what you really need and want?" When I compose songs, I often put down my initial lyrics and music, but then a lot of trimming off words and taking out notes that are unnecessary and actually cloud the message. This leaves room to start with a more "open white board." Thanks for your continuing to share your ideas, books, and include the feedback of others! Keep up the great work! Leah Michelle Hamilton, MFT/Musician

I was just talking to an old friend whose sister
just lost everything. They lived in Paradise.
Some people just take your advice and get
carried away. I was telling my friend, i’m glad
I’ve lived from a backpack because you never
know when you might have to go back to that.

Ernest Hemingway wrote stories employing a method (not style) he referred to as “the thing left out.”

From a good Wiki source:

"For example, Hemingway believed a writer could describe an action, such as Nick Adams fishing in "Big Two-Hearted River," while conveying a different message about the action itself—Nick Adams concentrating on fishing to the extent that he does not have to think about the unpleasantness of his war experience.[7] In his essay "The Art of the Short Story", Hemingway is clear about his method: "A few things I have found to be true. If you leave out important things or events that you know about, the story is strengthened. If you leave or skip something because you do not know it, the story will be worthless. The test of any story is how very good the stuff that you, not your editors, omit."[8]

Agree with you wholeheartedly. Especially the last line that places the locus of control firmly within our realm.

Presence! More thinking is NOT being more Present. Less thought = more ability to simply Be.. Here.. Now..

I think the sentence that more people die from overeating than famine should be changed... famine has killed far more world citizens than fat Americans have died from eating too much. So as far as facts go that sentence is just wrong... I get the point, but I would use another example.

Maybe relate it to stress instead. “People get stressed by over booking their agenda, not under booking.” Or something.

If I have some time to fill it is about doing the number 1 priority then either abandoning work or moving onto the number 2 priority. I rarely make it to a number 3. Sometimes number 1 doesn't even make it to the table, those are the best days of all.

I love the concept and its simplicity.

Amazing. Great life lesson. Didn’t connect with the number analogy scale being zero to twenty but loved the last line “right here, not out there”. Thank you Derek!

"More people die from eating too much than eating too little."

I don't think this is true. Maybe more people die from eating the wrong things than from eating too little, if you count all the people dying of diabetes, food-borne cancer creators, toxins, etc. Maybe more people in the "developed world" die from eating too much than eating too little.

The number of people around the world dying of malnutrition and starvation probably is probably--sadly--much higher.

Thanks for your writings!

Pretty sure more people die or suffer from starvation than overeating. Feels pretty callous to ignore those who can’t eat.

I agree. We live in a culture of MOREMOREMORE, which can lead to nothing other than excess.

You are clearly among the enlightened few who embody the notion of "less is more," and who realize the value of simplicity.

I appreciate your 0-10-20 number line metaphor; it has beautiful echoes of the ancient yet timeless Chinese yin-yang philosophy of balance.

Indeed, death can occur from eating too little, but also too much; just as death can occur from undernourishment, as well as overindulgence, quite dissimilar from a purely quantitative observation of eating habits. Much of America is, unfortunately, overfed and undernourished.

You're so right. Tough thing to implement. But hey, you're the only blog I read ...so that's a start right ;)

Derek - I really love this post. Glad it will be part of your book.

As to feedback...I'm wondering if you could cut out the third paragraph. Just a thought.

Always great to see you in my inbox!

Derek,
I’m reading this as I organize for a trip to Aisa and I’m deciding what to pack. Subtracting is really a goal when you want to fit your life in a bag. Now if I can apply this to the rest of my life ....

Great article and absolutely agree! In this world where the ability to focus is becoming more and more rare it is increasingly important to develop the skill of subtracting the things that don’t matter. I have been fortunate to stumble onto people like yourself and Tim Ferris who really preach these philosophies and I wish this was something that was emphasized much earlier aim life (especially in school and when first entering the workforce). I remember only running into concepts like the Pareto principle late into college and it’s something that could benefit so many people and eliminate the constant state of business that everyone always seems to be in. Thank you for sharing and can’t wait for the book!

This is true. More to do with living minimalisticly, than abundantly. If you subtract things, activities, people, commitments from your life, you will have more TIME to do the things you live most. Live peacefully.

Less is more

This reminds me a lot of the concept that my grandpa used to say to me when I was getting ahead of my skis a bit as a kid. I was always the type to "do more" or "read more" or "think more" and push myself beyond my limits.

But every time I'd go ahead of myself (and eat crow because of it) he would tell me "don't shit in the bath tub." He was a blue collar guy so you can imagine the attitude.

Basically what he told me was this...

"If you fill up the bathtub and you have a wet fart...can you still stay in the bathtub?"

Obviously the answer is self-evident :)

His point was saying "when you add one too many things sometimes you gotta drain out the whole thing b/c that one small thing ruins the whole thing.

I've always thought of that when I get ahead of my skis.

One mental model that doesn't serve you can crater a business.

One idea or commitment can wear you out.

Just today, I hired a new tax advisor to simplify that area of my business. In less than an hour, he (with a country attitude and living on a farm) was able to explain what I needed to do and the systems I needed to install in a plain-English way.

Our call was about 50 minutes. He even said "I know the 5 moves we could take to solve this problem and I'll tell you about the first 2 because I'm 90% sure one of those will work and we won't have to get to the other 3. Don't stress cuz I got 5 moves but I think only 2 will be necessary."

Here's my fees...and here's how long it would take.

Thats it.

Keep in mind I'd tried to solve this problem on my own for 5 years with no luck. And the point was...I subtracted the idea that I could do it by myself.

One small subtraction could've saved me 5 years of working at it trying to make a square peg in a round hole.

"Don't shit in the bath tub Brad"

:)

Thanks Grandpa for your neverending wisdom even if you shared it in a vivid fashion haha.

After 25yrs of living in a big home in studio city California my husband an I had 5 garage sales in one month and sold our house and moved to a small apt in Manhattan. We said we wanted less stuff and more adventure. It really resonates with people. EVERYTHING about this topic is necessary for people to hear - Touche!. So glad you wrote it. Subtraction was hard for me as a kid but it certainly is freeing as an adult!

Hi Derek

Came here from your newsletter email. Always love your thoughts. You are like the Prophet who constantly reminds people of the right ways.

As a suggestion for the book, as I was reading this I wondered why I want to be in the middl? Most people when they read scale think higher is better. Perhaps I am overthinking. Best wishes.

Yep. I’ve practiced the subtraction system for a decade now and still work at it daily.

Awesome and exactly the perfect message leading up to the holidays.

Good point. No photo at the bottom = subtraction? :)
Thanks for noticing. I used to have photos — Derek

Great work Derek.

Youre right, your two articles tie in well together.

Ive always said whoever started an unlearning business would become a millionaire.
Our minds are like a cup with the taps on, overflowing and washing us out. When I read your article, I got the new idea of turning that tap to a drip, an applied thoughtful drip that may seem mundane and repetitive but lets you end up with a very full cup! this is like saying no to all the gushing opportunities, the information the everything and all distracting. Its subtracting to a drip, your applied habits to grow into the person you want to be. Once you're brimming you can drink it up and start again.

Glad your book is going well.

Best,
E.

Taking stock and inventory of ones life is tough. It seem simply to add more stuff more clothes more material things to make one happy. This is not the case. Usually, the more one has the less happy they seem. You want everyone to go on the journey, however everyone doesn’t make it. Some people must be subtacted from your life in order to add new relationships and people. Less is best! Subtracting works because it follows the basic laws of nature.

I grew up during the Soviet Union collapse when things were really hard and we had very little (like 1 pair of pants for 3 years). So I was blessed that I was forced to become a minimalist in almost everything in life. When I first came to the US at 15 I was horrified by the consumption level of my peers. Still am horrified :) This mindset is reflected in everything we do indeed.
Yay to subtraction!

I love subtracting, downsizing, stripping things down to their bare minimum. That's when I see the very few things that hold true value. Same thing goes for the first comment on your post here (from devin). I've found that when I write -- whether it be music or non-fiction prose -- the best work I ever do is when I cut out all of the unnecessary excess. Only then do I find what I really mean to say, allowing it to settle into a place which gives the most meaning and impact. Have you ever heard of the KISS rule? It was ingrained in me in my post-graduate education. "Keep It Simple, Stupid"!! I tell myself that all the time in my creative journeys.

Totally agree.

Very relatable. Subtraction distributes more value to the remaining numbers - which are often our best assets to begin with. This will be a great 'addition' to the book :)

Thanks for the viewpoint! I understand the concept but I don’t connect.
Life can be improved by adding —you say.
But only state subtracting as a positive improvement.
Adding new perspective awareness, contrasting new ways of thinking?
We may figure out to concentrate on fewer things but how do we learn that? Would you agree we need to grow and learn so we don’t stay fixed. Can we grow if we don’t add things? Assuming fixed mind sets are bad. Is it rather a view of net 0. Add and subtract. One new thing to learn, One old way to let go of.
When you bring two bags in the house, you make sure two bags go out.

Say no to everything and narrow focus..... cool

Pretty darn provocative, Derek. This prompts a boatload of questions.

I would like to do an experiment with this to truly experience the empirical evidence of your conclusion. I want to go to Australia next week (never been,want to experience Aboriginal life) but am I better off going to a one room cabin an hour away with no adornments? I want to meet someone and start a relationship, but am I better off making no attempts and see what happen (negative searching)? I do well on 1,500 calories per day. Would I do better on 750? My car is packed to the gills right now...I know it would be advantageous to put everything in storage that I might absolutely need in the future and chuck the rest. But would it be more advantageous to just TURN IN THE CAR? My new website will have 7 pages. Should it be one? I sleep 7 hrs. Should it be 6,5,4,3,2,1, none?

I know pop music tracks today are much more spatial and less crammed. Are they better?

Where do we subtract first?? Is that based on' feeling,' or is there any science to it?

OK...I need at least one comment on my comment, from as many humans as possible...I can subtract the ones that I feel don't apply!

just what i needed to be reminded of today derek!

I can't agree with this post more.

There was a moment in my life when I realized I was making a millimeter of progress in million directions. Everyday was like: a bit work here, a bit work there. A lot of effort, with barely anything actually done. Then, with some things rapidly changing in my personal life, something clicked. I realized that if I want to do something truly tangible and everlasting in life, I need to focus. Only do what's truly essential.

The results were staggering. For instance, I'm now able to write and self publish a short book, end to end, in less than a month - that is something. I find time to work out heavily everyday, even though I couldn't force myself to do that previously. I can literally feel I'm growing as a person - just because I dropped all the pointless distractors.

The instrument that I play -- jinashi shakuhachi -- is constructed 100% by subtraction.
There are no parts, nothing added, not even lacquer.

It is completely empty, and -- although it is also the most difficult instrument in the world (the topic of my next book, perhaps!) -- my experience with it is one of complete freedom.

Explaining to my former saxophone and clarinet and flute colleagues why I now only play shakuhachi can be difficult and tricky -- but there is gold within this subtraction approach, and that is a big part of it.

I just wanted to tell you that I think this is spot on. Thanks for sharing!

Good points all.

I often wonder what happens to that childhood phase when we say no to everything.

The only problem, if you manage to get that faculty back in adulthood, is that it's really quite difficult to say yes.

And it's certainly true that the people who can say no are thin on the ground.

My observation is that people in general have a lot in common with sheep.

Incidentally, about objects.

It's a particularly good idea to get rid of objects you may have that have been given to you by toxic people. Their toxicity is in the objects you have received and may well be making your life more complicated.

Hi Derek, Oh how true! One of my goals for 2019 is getting more focussed on the big picture, which will mean lots of little subtractions. Thanks for bringing it home again so succinctly.
Rhonda

Great stuff. To me, the powerful takeaway of this principal is that I already have what I need. I don't need be seeking more, or thinking there isn't enough for me to meet my goals. It's already there.

Surprised to see the food analogy, but it makes sense. Here I guess you can also talk about intermittent fasting and how much that helps.

When talking about the number line, maybe a drawing can help visualise better what you mean?
Also, the adding mindset comes from our consumerism society. Heard an interesting quote in a documentary that goes along these lines "We are no longer citizens. We are consumers". Documentary link here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ3RzGoQC4s&feature=youtu.be

Hi Derek,
You asked, so here's what I think. I've two comments. One here on "Subtract" and another there on "Unlearning."

Here: Love your opening idea, expressed in three sentences, ending with, "...the secret is to focus on subtracting." That idea twists the reader's mind wonderfully.

The second three-sentence paragraph will be more fleet reading as, "Imagine a number line, with zero on the left and twenty on the right. I want to be in the middle, at ten. But I’m over here at seventeen."

However, those second and third paragraphs work against your arrow's arc. They are detours. Suggest you consider excising them.

Try this. Read the first paragraph then directly jump into the fourth. Your idea flows effectively into the fourth paragraph better than with detours. Use your philosophy: subtract.

Lastly, a story: I knew a man who was fighting his way to higher knowing. He said he looked for truths. His mentor asked him how he knew "a truth" when he encountered it. "Oh, I hold it up to the light and it shines, and I make that my star," he said.

There was a long silence. He sensed something was off. It dawned on him that all his life he tended to lurch for certainty. Certainty was what he worshiped. Certainty was his god. After that he found himself using the word "may," more often.

As flawed humans we run a dangerous practice of cannonizing an idea as THE idea. What I mean is that I find your "subtract" premise very insightful and personally agree it is extremely useful...especially in our gimme-more western mindset, but we all know instances where our epiphany gathers from adding, alternatively from subtracting.

In other words, though subtraction may be the stronger of the two, they both work. Depending on circumstance.

Re-read your opening paragraph that so wonderfully sets your main idea about "subtract." Rather than, "...the secret is..." you could change it to read by the more flexible, reflective phrase "...the secret may..." The pivotal, "May be" calls presence of mind into your statement without detailing it specifically. Isn't that what you meant?

-jason

Hi Derek, thanks for sharing this. I think subtracting and chipping away the unnecessary is something a majority of us are either struggling with or constantly trying to balance,either within our personal lives or our professional. I work as a music arranger for the Asian pop music industry and I'm constantly trying to keep things simple and not overarrange... Sometimes I achieve that and feel pretty good about myself but then the record company, or singer would complain that it needs more, more, more as they feel exposed and vulnerable if there are less than 40 tracks per song. That has been a constant struggle, I know what "they" want and I can deliver but I'm also secretly trying to push my agenda that less is sometimes really, more. I'm using this analogy because you're a musician yourself and I think you can relate too.

As with personal life, I've been making a very conscious (I think it has since seeped into my sub consciousness) effort to say no and reduce. I'm currently in the midst of moving to another country and its the perfect opportunity for me to give away stuff and really reduce my clutter. A very morbid part of me is constantly considering the thought and fact that I may die at any moment. And when that day comes, I want to make moving forward for my loved ones as painless as possible. The less I have, the less of my belongings they'll have to deal with. If I can fit all of my processions into a backpack, that'll be great. But currently, I'll need maybe ten or more to fill up all my crap. So ya, it's a consiouc effort to make life easier for myself and others. And as you've mentioned, finding the ten between the zero and twenty, and staying on track with lazer focus. It's a very hard thing to do but it's worth aiming for.

Thanks for sharing a small part of your book. Take care,

Derek Chua

Another example is information. We're bombarded by it! It's hard to focus when there are 13 sources, all pulling to their side of the story. The problem is how do we subtract without getting into an echo chamber?

First reaction — it depends. If you’ve just finished high school or are in your twenties adding variety, experience l, travel and more is the way to go. If you’re in a later stage that might kick in from thrirties or later, subtraction could be the way to go. So adding this age perspective is worth considering. I’d also suggest adding location to the mix. If you’re living in a place like Hong Kong, where you have the benefits of help at home with children, and a concentrated playground of work, sport, charities and more it prolongs the feasible period for adding new skills and experiences. Then, at some stage, it makes sense to prioritise by subtracting the superfluous and focus on the people and activities that give you energy and joy, aligned to your core values and beliefs.

This was perfect for me today as I work through my bookshelves, discarding books that were once useful but are now out of date, and books that I never even found time to read. My room was full, with stuff on every surface (even the floor). But now I'm starting to see the light again. Thanks for this short post which reminds me that I'm now doing what I should be doing.

Agreed, 100% Derek!

Presently my mission seems to be a reduction of clutter. Mental and physical. Just cutting out the non-essential & focusing on what's truly important over what's trivial.

Feels good to be in that kinda place.
Would you agree?

Wow~ "Life can be improved by adding, or by subtracting." I like the first line. Recently I have read about a book, simple life by Japanese writer. I'm not a minimalist, but with less we can live fuller life, I think. I'm expecting your new book! :)

Right now, I'm digitizing my record albums and making CDs out of the resulting files...freeing me to sell the LPs I've already converted.

Great to be able to downsize. (The extra space is great, too!)

Thanks for the article, Derek!

Derek, it's a great short piece on the "less is more" epiphany. Ironically, I'd like you to write more about this topic. Specifically I'd like you to expand on the last sentence - "subracting reminds me that what I need to change is something already here, not out there". It seems like like you're refering to the limiting belief that "I am not enough" in some context therefore I need to add something. I'd also like some case studies of improvement by subraction and subtraction strategies for the overcommitted. Should I try to subtract everything extra all at once or prune incrementally.

As usual, nice constructive article Derek. The majority of us have too much in life, afraid to let go and move on...

I've always loved this Maya Angelou quote. "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." Nicely couoples with the idea of subtracting.
I'd like to read a short example of how you would define success in this context too!

Love this! I often use restrictions when I head out on a photo shoot. I pick one lens (often a prime) and force myself to find the shot.

In this era of attention economy where so much of my energy is pulled towards mindless screen time, I am finding myself guilty of Facebook scrolling and News surfing. This email came at a great moment.

Looking forward to the new book!

January is ‘declutter’ month in our home. In your terms Derek, we subtract the ‘stuff’ that is now redundant in our lives and give it to charity. The whole process is so therapeutic.

I needed to read this. I need write no more—Thanks, Derek.
Jack

I like this Derek:
I ‘m going to send it to one of my daughters who is constantly distracted by things taking her away from her goals
I call it “ being a slave to your whims”
I even need to take this advice myself!!
💪

I agree with this and I've been trying to apply it for a while. I think what me and others struggle with is how do you know which are the "right" things to do. By doing less it's true that you focus and get better results, but it's also true that saying no can close you doors. And that's the tension that draws most people to do many things.

I also heard you talk about how at first it's important to say yes often, because you don't have anything and you don't know what opportunities will come. I hope you address this on he book :) And apologies if you already have a chapter about that! I've recently started reading all your posts starting on the first, so I haven't catch up to the lasts.

Yeah. We all chase happiness, believing that it is something you can catch if we are quick/smart enogh. In fact I think that you express the wisdom of the simple life. Brought to the extreme will be "the void" that is highest in Buddhas meditation.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

"The least successful people I know run in conflicting directions, drawn to distractions, say yes to almost everything, and are chained to emotional obstacles"...so true, so ME for SO long.
"What if THAT is my chance, what if THAT is the opportunity of my life? What if THAT is the person with the right connections? What if I say NO and then I need the money? But I need the money! (Having a kid makes this one a bit trickier...I stopped doing a job I hated for my kid, but now ive been saying yes to stuff I shouldnt in the name of that same kid)..etc etc...
Thank you Derek...cant wait to get the book!

This is one of your most important posts.

I really appreciate this concept as it is something I have been working on for 30+ years.

Our one most precious comodity is time.

Pursuing 'more' uses up that time dramatically, while taking away the superfluous frees up that time equally dramatically.

Time for living and experiencing the best life can offer.
Time for loving and enjoying those around you and the things you love to do.

Interesting read as always, feels a little familiar, is this from the book i helped translate? Keep us posted on the progress! <3

Hello Derek
How does one start to Subtract?
I find myself in a downward spiral of overeating,
hoarding collecting stuff i allready have and dont need,
unsecure of my relation towards people,
Always jumping into the to please mode, not able to say no
Every day i want to change but i cant seem to get a grip on myself or life,
lost in chaos.... living to other peoples needs
hiding, feeling guilty not adding to life, my body hurts,
my mind seems diswired
Maybe reading your Subtracting will flip the switch...
Kindest regards and always with love
Trudy

Subtracting & additions are different sides of the same coin to me. I subtract physical possessions and add more space & freedom. I subtract toxic people from my life and add more time to spend in healthy relationships. It's easy to only want the end result, the "good stuff", but to get there we need to see that we need to subtract to have the additions.

As always a thought provoking article. Thanks Derek!

Derek, it's always good to read you! Can't wait to read your book ☺ the moments we had in Brussels reminds me of the distractions I had back then, laserfocus is so important nowadays. Thanks! Cheers,
Pieter

"The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything" - Warren Buffet
Crystal clear. In an increasingly specialized society, having limited time resources (by definition), only by focusing on a few specific themes is it possible to achieve significant results. So, the challenge is, how to choose the right goal?
Bye
I hadn't heard that quote! Thanks for that. — Derek

Well said! This is honestly one of the reasons I moved from the US to Ukraine. Because there are less moving parts in my life now. Thanks for putting this into words so well. I look forward to the book :)

Peter

Are you a Dzogchen practioner?

Seems to be the case. I love it too when I find something I don't need and can get rid of.

It may seem a bit of a cliché but 'Less is More' has never been more relevant, except when it comes to sleep....

For someone like me it is good to be reminded of this fact time and time again. I will learn... I will learn... ;-)

Love this post Derek, I totally agree - in a world of over consumption and more, more, more. Subtraction is the wise move to stay sane and agile. Less is more has been a motto of mine for years :)

What is here has always been here...we learn it about the time we learn to walk. From there our path in life is set. We fall, we rise and try again. If we are successful, we learn to walk. If not, we fall...Fear of falling is what we need to subtract from our lives. It's the first thing we learn in life, and our care givers only model the behavior. As infants, we are quick learners. Whatever our path in life, be it artist, scientist, or musician...fear of falling is the first thing we must subtract. Thanks for this insight Derek;-)

Hi Derek,

maybe a German approach might be interesting.

This principle applies in different situations.

In my job as a sales manager, I am responsible for making sure my company works efficiently and that my team can handle the workload. No amount of revenue will help us if the profit is low or even negative. So what I often do is either make projects successful or cancel them. This way, I ensure we hit our quota with the minimum amount of work.

Same thing if you get a new Job: More money, at a certain point, is worth less than maximizing your free time. I decided not to earn more, but to work less and try to earn the same as before.

When my dad died years ago, I had to deal with his possessions. Ultimately, I only have a couple of things left. I have come to realize that no amount of stuff is going to bring him back and that what counts is how we deal with life.

Last example: My basement and appartment used to be crowded with things I haven't used in years. Finally I am able to walk around down there, I know where everything is and it just feels good. My grandma used to say: You gotta throw out half of your stuff. Twice. Guess that's true after all.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sorry for writing a novel - I kinda got carried away :)

Oliver

Great. Looking forward to read more of it.

Hilariously, uproariously, fabulously true!!! #PerfectTiming

Love this Derek. So simple but so true. I run a marketing agency and this is something the younger staff hugely struggle with - the desire for more. Often leaving them overwhelmed and chronically distracted! Be careful what you wish for! Thanks for sharing as always :)

It's in a way the Via Negativa mindset, something N.N.Thaleb introduced me to. Also omnipresent in Greg McKeown's 'Essentialism'. But I always miss concrete application in basic life. Like how would this apply to the classic woman/man trapped in a demanding job, working a lot, dealing with the responsibilities of raising two children, being kind and committed to the broader family and trying to maintain some friendships. Start 'cutting'.

Hi Derek,
I like this article. It matches part of what I've done this year - a year I am happy to say is one of my best ever. And subtraction is a big part of it. Long, long held dreams achieved and they make me giddy thinking of them. Idiot smile. How? Stopping with the time consuming 'nice to have, but...'. A rule of thumb not yet pithy is if it doesn't get me off the couch it's off the list.

Actually that is quite pithy! :)

Go well,

Dave

The truth! Focusing on less is the real deal.

Quote by Socrates: The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

I'm reminded of the "via negativa," as a means of coming to the positive. Rather than pursuing the positive, subtract all of the negatives so as to be left with only the positve(s). The latter results in being left only the positive as opposed to the former, viz, a conbination of the positive and negative.

Reminded me of the concept of singular multiple in a rhizome. If you would like to read more, I recommend "A Thousand Plateaus" (Deleuze, Guattari)

off the top of my head you might overthink sometimes. To many minds.

A lovely thought after a long gap. Still introspecting on it.

Great post Derek! Very similar to Tim Ferris’ explanation of the why he has a knife with the word simplify above a door in his house , explaining that the knife symbolises cutting things out to simplify life

I've focused on the value of less for twenty years now Derek. Gives me plenty of space to appreciate life.

Slowww is my mantra

fckn'ell Derek, bang on time again.
you know what an MKS-30 is.
(little muso aside, folks,you keep chatting
amongst yer bad selves)
so, faulty as it is, i figure this thing
sounds gorgeous. and having owned and sold
all junos, and tried many many other things,
this simple thing that fell into my lap by
chance - and is not terribly practical, for
the moving person - ... it needs an overhaul,
and i'm lucky to have it, but do i need it,
and can i justify it?
essentially: things are flashed before our
eyes, and we -most of us- CAN have a see/want
response. and then you end up up to your neck
in ****, with a point where you have to divest.
get stuff. or don't get stuff. or AVOID getting
stuff. be light, be free, move. cast off. and
then get to a point where you pick up all that
**** again... are there things that are exquisite
enough to invalidate this argument? (dunno, very
quick kneejerk response - would appreciate your
thoughts anyway, via pm ☺ )

“Our life is frittered away by detail ... simplify, simplify, simplify.” - Henry David Thoreau

Yes.
I grew up with two grandmothers: one kept every old magazine just in case someone needed it. She had everything ready: dog food, cat food, canned tuna, artificial turf, you name it she had it.
My other grandma’s house was neat as a pin. Nothing out of place and nothing extra.
I never noticed one any happier than the other but one house was always clean.
If you’ve seen The Minimalists you’ll see kindred spirits Derek.
David Baldwin

Your first book, Anything You Want, is the only book I’ve went back to many, many times. And each time I open it there are little precious gems sparkling for me to unearth.

I simply love the concept of substracting. It’s like saying to ourselves “I have my wings. What should I do to get higher and free? Definitely not attach a rock to my ankles!”

There’s this last thing I want you to see. It’s called Zero Waste Home. See how Béa Johnson and her family literally have only a jar of waste for the whole year. Their home is clear, spacious and soul friendly but also, they are teaching the world how to save our Blue Planet.

Wish you the very best Dereck! We’re impatient for the release,

@matthewazen (IG)

Hi Derek,

Thanks for sharing. It's a crucial thought that very few are discussing. The idea of decluttering and minimalistic living have been around but to apply it to the mind is so refreshing yet key. Can't wait to see your book! Keep well.

*When you say "The most successful people I know have a narrow focus, protect against time-wasters, say no to almost everything, and have let go of old limiting beliefs. " I can see that you most likely also include yourself here - and I wondered whether your NXT book culd be more about the path you took to get there??!!
*When you say "More people die from eating too much than eating too little." - please do not forget that this might very well be true for the Western world but not on a global level - not to bring up any statistics or anything but this statement cannot stand up to the WHO etc etc. - you get the idea.....
*I love how you condense everything.
Thanks for this. Katja

Your observations reminded me immediately of what Gandhi said: "Civilisation consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants." Famously, when he died, his personal belongings all fit in a small box.

There's a fantastic book on this topic, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. That booked changed the way I prioritize and live my life. Before, I was reading so many self-help books on how to stay organized and write the perfect to-do list and make sure you get everything accomplished on your list. But what I found from subtracting the less important and trivial, I had no need for to-do lists as I had fewer things to worry about. Also, because they were so important to me they were always top of mind.

AS per usual Mr Sivers... I concur!!

You da man Derek! As usual.

Hell yeah. But you like variety, are interested in everything, and you try to concentrate on what pays or what is most useful skill training, or what is most fun.

Unfortunately the 80/20 rule doesn't work, because you you gain 80% of your work from all the unrelated networking you do. The work comes in at first on the one thing you disciplined yourself to focus on while you say no to everything else, and then suddenly it dries up completely.

Then you focus on something else because you have to. You say "yes" to a lot more to earn a living.

You are back where you started: looking for something you can do to back up what you want to do.

I love it, Derek. Thank you so much for this. I'm going through some emotional personal stuff at the moment and I am finding that the more I simplify/subtract the stuff I'm already involved with, more clarity is gained and I feel a tiny bit more at ease. Take care and thanks again, Sandy

Nicely put, Derek. Your thoughts on “adding” are very much a by product of our modern “getting, getting, getting” society. Maybe we will realize that all this FOMO makes us all tired and weary MOFOs! 😀

Before I add or subtract, I TRY to personally preface my decision by asking myself “what is it’s purpose” or “what is it for?” And that calls upon deep contemplation and summons forth the greatest human faculty- knowing thyself.

Good luck on the new book, Derek! Will be looking out for it!

This is a tough lesson. I tend to take on more, especially when the pay is there. I resonate with "hell ya, or no" but I also fear losing income. I recently dropped a ton of projects, only to pick up several more within two weeks! Haha. But this is top of mind right now and I'm trying to batch my work now, so that I can clear more space. It's mostly working. The plan is to say no from here on out. And eventually, when my finances are in better order, to subtract at least one major project.

Derek,

Absolutely spot on. And strangely in line with my thinking this morning. Really like the last point, "what I need to change is something already here, not out there" And great comments and feedback from everyone else
What I want is more on the how? Is it just say no? Declutter? Use focus as decider?
Tips and tricks I guess.
All the best.

James

Excellent article loved reading it made sense thanks

My friend has a minimally furnished apartment, with just one wall hanging, which reads:

"All you need is less".

(That phrase is also all over the internet, I don't know the origin.)

I think it’s telling that although this resonates with me intellectually, my visceral response is fear. What if I have too little left over? What if I don’t have enough? What if I shut some doors that can’t be RE-opened?

Great as always!

There is one exercise my wife told me about recently, and it goes like this:

When we are planning how to achieve success, we are told to take a piece of paper and write down everything we want to have. But why not turn this practice around, and write down the only the bare minimum you'll be comfortable living with?

If subtracting is the direction, why not have a plan for that as well?

Thanks!

This is brilliant and a good reminder for myself.

Some time ago I started applying that concept to clothes and objects and getting rid of what is not a "Hell Yeah" item.

Then transitioned to people and relationships by saying "NO" to the ones that bring me down or steal from my time and energy. That can be a tough one, but I'm getting better at it. Some take it personally and think you've gone even more weird, but... what the hey.

But I currently struggle to apply that concept to my work and business and need to pinch myself a little.

I digitally write down different ideas for projects I get and the pile has gone so big that I get dizzy by just looking at it... When am I going to even look at all of them? Same with my computer hard drive... Too many thing I'm never going to open again.

Thanks again for the brilliant reminder!

Time to do some simplifying again :)

Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to convince those around them (maybe a boss or colleague) that this is the way to go?

I have tried and failed many times.

Totally agree! I think it all starts in the mind. If we pay less attention to what we think we need to add then we don't hear so much noise. From that state of clarity it matters less whether there is a lot of external noise -- demands, pressures, "things to do" because it makes no sense to us to pay attention. This is why extremely successful people can be calm in the midst of a storm. We can all access this state, we've mostly forgotten how.

Great insight Derek :)

Love this! Can’t wait for the book. You might add the qualifier "in most of the world" to the point about more people dying from eating too much than too little, since malnutrition is still (sadly) common in some regions. Good luck with the book Derek!

I would just add, that I think you'd need global stats to back up the statement more people die from eating too much than too little... if you want to use that example as evidence to support your ideas... I'd suggest a shift from more people to 'many people in the west?' something along those lines?

A half-assed yes can bring stress, debt, pressure, frustration, responsibility, and sometimes, no-exit. No can mean opportunities, freedom, and time for yourself.

But, there are some cases when you'll need to give a half-assed yes. For example, taking up an odd job you're not necessarily fond of, but you do need the extra cash. Be careful. Do know that along with a half-assed yes comes a can of worms.

Saying No isnt selfish, it's selfless. You save time and decision making for the other party, and might even earn their respect.

If my heart doesn't burst out a hell yes with fireworks screaming, and confetti dropping in the background, it's almost always a no thank you.

Thank you Derek, and look forward to reading Hell yeah or No.

KISSing wins too!
Keep
It
Simple
Sweetie

Thanks for sharing your uncommon, common sense, wisdom Derek!
XO (Hug along with the kiss!)

Hi Derek, Great article. Me and my wife have been talking about de-cluttering for a while now and I find it so difficult. But I have spoken to people who have done it, and they say that they felt a release and less burdened afterwards. So I'm gonna give it a go. Thanks a lot Derek. Michael

I appreciated this very much... I made a list, and used the word "subtract" instead of "get rid of" or "stop" and it felt less aggressive and final - but rather like simply moving in the direction of simplicity. I mean, even having more money causes us to lose time.

Derek,

this is music to my ears. While minimalism is popular these days, I find the practice of essentialism more impactful.

What is essential right now and am I willing to discard the unnecessary? Sounds harsh but it goes to the tight focus you wrote about.

Honing down to the absolute essential right here and now is the ultimate mindfulness practice.

Hell yeah or no.

I can’t wait. Thank you for being you.

Cara

In the words of NNT - via negativa!

Thank you !!!

You're right in so many ways. Each time I find time to read your work, it's on time, at least with me. It give me the thoughts to stop and recheck what I am doing and questions myself why I'm not making progress. Sometimes I try to much, and other not enough but great way to title it. Life itself need balance if we going for the mileage in time. Thanks

Brilliant. So much substance in just a few sentences. I hope the article on multiplying and dividing in next. Thanks!

Nice observation. I couldn't agree more!

Thank you for this. My default is always to add and then I wonder why things are not working! This has given me a lot to think about ☺

They tell me that too much is never enough.

I find that more than one Hell Yeah is distracting. Distraction is disheartening.

A Muse is a beautiful thing, but a jealous thing. Having more than one brings conflict. More is distraction.

I really like this. I'm often reminded of two famous quotes when I think about minimalism:

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away"

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

I feel both apply equally to art/design/music and more widely to the way in which we live our lives.

Absolutely agree with this Derek.
Reminds me of something from my childhood, my dad once told me that the happiness equation is very simple.
Happiness = (No of fulfilled desires/No of entertained desires)
He got this from a spiritual leader he used to follow, echoes with the sentiment of this post.

Cleaning out the metaphorical junk drawer always feels good. What about the other drawers filled with good stuff? It's hard to get rid of that but we can be ruthless and make space. I have another drawer labeled best stuff. After throwing out everything in the junk drawer and purging the good drawers if the best stuff drawer is empty it doesn't much matter.

I hope this paints the picture that the main point is doing the things that really matter in life and busyness, even busyness doing good stuff can distract. If your life is full to 10 doing the very best of things it is probably ok. The best things always have to do with expressing love to ourselves, others and God.

Current Western Civilisation is conditioned to want and many have confused want with need.
If you take it away and don't miss it you didn't need it or didn't need it as much as you thought you did.
24 hours in every day for each of us.

Love it. Reminds me of "the paradox of choice" and how creativity needs restraint to bloom.
Can't wait to read your book - is there an ETA?

Thanks so much Derek! I always jump when I see your email because I know I will get a healthy dose of wisdom and inspiration.

What a great way to start the day. SUBTRACT! I am sure you know this Bruce Lee quote;

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” ---This is the path to greatness and peace of mind!!

Thanks again and wishing you all the best!! Ken

I get it, and I'm with you in the minimalism of subtraction. Before you put this in the book, can I suggest a re-think of the "More people die from eating too much" line? I'm guessing that's true if you qualify the statement as a 1st world context (true for most of your readers). On a global scale, however, I'm not sure it's true. I get what you're getting at. Maybe, "Most of us will die...", in parallel with "Most of us have too much..."
Anyway, hope that helps. Love your stuff.
- C

I wholeheartedly agree. Thank you for being brilliant.

The most important lesson I've learned during 70 years of countless adventures is "travel light."

It's natural for somebody who lives on the road to lose things, people, and battles. More than most people, I feel only momentary regret about losing so much. Including the things and people I imagined would define and validate me.

We all really only have One Thing we must never lose. It's our Brand, core value, or undying passion. Mine is this: to bring a bit of extra joy into the life of everyone I encounter.

The less physical and emotional baggage I carry, the easier it is to maintain an oddball existence that allows me to stay consumed with love. All I really need is this incandescent smile.

If that ever seems about to be lost, I don't fret about losing everything else and moving on. I know my smile will energize new opportunities to surprise people with joy.

The less I acquire in life, the less I need to subtract. So I'm just getting started with living, my inspired friend.

In my early twenties I had a note from my doctor acknowledging that I'd overdone the party scene and could take 6 months out to recuperate my health. I spent the next few years doing yoga and meditation, drinking herbal teas, eating vegetables. I felt great. I gave away my furniture and at one point all I had was a bicycle, a few items of clothes and some books. Twenty five years later and I look at the things I've accumulated and how I can downsize to those magical days of simplicity. But it's hard parting with the angle lamps.

Absolutely! I've embraced Taoism which helped me subtract A LOT from my life and I've never felt better, or at more peace with myself.

Tiene razón el problema a cambiar está en nosotros. Las distracciones siempre van a existir, debemos conocernos y mejorar cada día sin perder de vista nuestro objetivo. Planificar como llegar a él y no perder el enfoque.

Looking at the comments, I am reminded that most of us take in the world visually, as many people thought about material goods at home: stuff.

I was musing about stuff, and metaphors for stuff and house organizing, when suddenly I went STOP! (Whoah, hold the horses) Stuff is only a very small part of the concept being presented today.

When I was young, my life-graph was like a sine wave, as I continually added and subtracted in order to test myself, and to be sure I was not being lazy or living below my potential. I had to do so in order to learn what was right and optimal for me.

Last night in the bar I told a friend that I tell others, as a joke, that "I lead a boring life" but I don't, not really, because from my point of view I have my life narrowed down to a focus that works well for me. ...

The many man-hours I spend on my art and my blog would usually not interest anyone else. (Unless, maybe, I phrased my blog life to say, to use Derek's example, "I've been thinking about subtraction in life"... But once my art is done I don't inflict it on others, anymore than I would read my poetry to others—hence I stay silent about my "boring life")

So true. I've been on a two year mission to get rid of all the "stuff" I've collected over the last 68 years. Lookin' good now..down to selling or gifting quality, useable things like instruments. My wife said she is gonna hang a "Free" sign on me and put me by the curb.

I like the example of trying to add a number to get to less. Great example of how we tend to live life. We often look for more if something go fill up our joy when all we have to do isvstripythings away and our joy and happiness will emerge from behind the clutter of life. Thanks Derek

Derek RIGHT ON!!! We are in a consumerism and more more more mindset so much of the time. I need more time, more money, more things in order to be successful. When I teach leadership I have people dig into the 'within' space. I have people look at those limiting beliefs and address the inner critic that tells them they are not enough. Who says? Our measuring stick has grown so high it feels unreachable but we can control how high to set that bar and how to really focus on our why. Once we can find a place of peace for ourselves, subtracting becomes second nature. Thanks for the insights!

Love the concept. I'll subtract my concerns on how you've explained them in this draft. Peace.

I completely agree and have personally adopted this philosophy from the first time I heard the words “it’s either Hell yeah or no”. My issue now is figuring out what I want to truly focus on and master with all this newfound time!

I’ve been seriously considering applying this concept to my life for quite some time. I find that I’m more productive with structure, strategy, plans, goals, and I’m pretty thorough working through things. So I often take longer to do tasks than I probably should, including adjusting my belief systems, but when I finally do I’m all in.

That being said, I’ve spent a lot of time considering the amount of time, and valuable energy, that I spend each week at my unfulfilling day job. I wonder what kind of difference I’d make in my life if I simply walked away from it and put those same hours and energy focusing solely on improving my music career. Would I get a weekly paycheck? Not likely for the first while, but could I gain some ground and improve my skill set? Yeah, I think so.

I appreciate the message in your article Derek! Already something on my mind and this adds some reinforcement! Thanks!

Sometimes a little says a lot. It's like songwriting, say what you mean and mean what you say and leave it to the listeners to fill in the blanks, put their own spin on it.

I looove subtracting and sayin No to things, ducluttering all areas of my life. I have a narrow focus and say No to most things and yet, still not successful haha

LOVING SUBTRACTING! Since turning 50 this year I’ve been reflecting on all aspects of my life. When I looked at all the highs & lows, I came to the conclusion that I can continue to be happy & content with far less in terms of commitments & costly entanglements. It’s been a joyful experience evaluating what to get rid of & how to engage with other people...or to not engage at all. I’ve been subtracting & eliminating and focusing more on what’s most important and most valuable. Getting to THAT Level Of Clarity & Focus is Priceless! Totally Enjoying my Wisdom from Evaluating Decades of Wasted Time, Money & Over-Consumption. Look forward to your other essays!

Yup. The constant push me pull you when all ya wanna do is make your art is a drag. Try to simplify but everything I gotta do to get though the day and get the bills paid where’s me out. And then there’s hardly anything left over, emotionally or financially. That’s why I’m working another Kickstarter. If it’s successful than at least for a little while I can maybe focus on that one thing I really love to do. www.kickstarter.com/projects/breadfoot/seven-suit-and-other-stories-the-latest-from-bread

First - thank you for reminding me of the simple things and the art of subtracting!

Second - Find the time to listen to the middle part of this Radio Show:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000192g

So simple but so beautiful!

I am one of those people who has many pokers in the fire. I am trying hard to just be content with (and focus on) the primary stuff. The basic stuff. Get my house in order. The rest will follow. For me right now that’s simply exercising, eating right, and sleep. I tend to overextend myself and now I’m suffering from a busted meatsuit. Gotta take better care of this thing I’m piloting around this planet.
See? I just mixed, like, five different metaphors...

I agree, we have so many pressures to add from our biology (more calories, resources, mates, offspring) to our culture (money, material goods, hours that we work). Right now I ask myself, “What controls me?” This helps me to identify where I can subtract in life. My drive to eat can take up way too much time and keep me from doing the stuff I want to add to my life such as art and study.

In the end, balance is helpful to keep in mind. . I ran across this yesterday from Leonard Koren - “Get rid of all that is unnecessary. … “Material poverty, spiritual richness” are wabi-sabi bywords. In other words, wabi-sabi tells us to stop our preoccupation with success — wealth, status, power, and luxury — and enjoy the unencumbered life.”
And
From Jane Dolen’s Interview with LK - Wabi-sabi isn't about lack or sterilized minimalism, it's about finding the poetry within the essence of life, and the delicate balance between having enough, and having too much stuff.

Leonard Koren advises "Pare down to the essence, but don't remove the poetry. Keep things clean and unencumbered, but don't sterilize."

I also questioned death from eating too much. Love the last sentence!

This. Specifically for me, it can difficult to remove people from my life who are toxic. It's something I've had to look at closely. I want to support people to do good work and live their truth. I want people who do the same for me. (Not that it's a quid pro quo thing). Why keep someone in your life who is so full of negative words?

Derek - Never a wasted word. The true language of an INTJ. Thanks for subtracting. This is the ONLY blog I still subscribe to. Thanks for ONLY sending knockouts and homeruns....and not trying to "babble in my inbox".

I am moving completely away from information consumption, this will be the book....and audio-book that I repeatedly consume this year.

Derek sir,

Great insight, makes one stop and think.

I would clarify the part of saying "yes" to things a bit more-- like we want to say yes to any new efforts (from the inside) but not yes to everything external. For example, if I want to become the best olympic swimmer in the world,I will say yes to every little opportunity to learn and improve myself with an open mind, but not to anything which I just "believe" would help me like knowing famous people by attending parties, etc.
I hope I made sense.

Nonetheless, I appreciate your thought of "nothing more than you need", the most as it has practically simplified my life so much. Thank you sir!

Derek

Thank you, that's been my experience; it holds one in a pattern of imbalance. I can do so many things, regardless, it takes discipline to say NO, to simplify and pace. Bringing on idea or creation to completion then move on to the next. In this light it allows the space to savor and enjoy the journey. Can say so much more but no need. Your writing it :) So glad I saw this today. Finally got it and I'm in my 60's. Hadn't seen a post for awhile. Much appreciated... Ermina

A timeless quest wed to such economy of present language made this so helpful to me. Thank you, Derek.

It's been rooted in us from our earliest days that more is better than less. More toys. More clothes. More friends. More money. More sex. etc. It likely is tapping into a primordial survival instinct and we pursue "more" as a way of taking care of ourselves. But the trouble is we apply that thinking without conscious curation to every aspect of our lives. And before we know it, we're overwhelmed. Subtraction doesn't come naturally. Subtraction feels like loss. I experienced it recently as I was sifting through old clothes and old books that I clearly didn't need anymore but wasn't ready to let go. Didn't want to feel that pinch of loss. But once we commit to subtraction it feels good. When we create more space, when we make our to do list smaller, we breathe a little easier. Thanks for this reminder Derek and looking forward to reading your new book!

Very helpful and great discovery Derek. If put into practice it will be a very helpful baggage reduction scheme. The thing is to have the will to get on with the subtraction, but it will be a very rewarding experience I'm sure. Thanks for the great heads-up.

True!
Based on my own experience I need to hit reset regularly, as soon as I feel the distractions drag. Cheers.

Thank you so much. The timing for this is perfect since we're in this buying frenzy and there is always something shiny ready to grab our attention.
Love your work!!!

Hey Derek!

Agreed with all this and I honestly suck at it unfortunately so this was a nice reminder!

It would be interesting to know the criteria where saying yes to more is a good thing. (Assuming whenever you say “hell yea” as the answer!)

Two examples where I benefited from taking on more:

1- my best GPA for a semester in college was a 3.8 when I took 18 credits, my worst was a 3.2 when I took 12 credits. Every other semester I took 15 and got 3.3-3.5.

I know I performed the best with the 3.8 because I had so much on my plate that I had to be super super smart about my time management and I didn’t procrastinate as much.

2- I do paid advertising for a living on FB, Google and LinkedIn. One client begged me to run Facebook traffic and I finally gave in even though I wanted to be stubborn and only do google/LinkedIn. I’m super grateful I gave in because Facebook is now my best performing network and I have retained more clients because of it.

I'm not sure that I agree with the quote "More people die from eating too much than eating too little". Maybe reword it to say "If you can read this message, you are more likely to die ___" because I assume this fact is only true in developed countries. I agree with the message though.

"more people die from eating too much than eating too little".

controversial. not likely to be true in my estimation. evidence?

Al

I agree with what you've written. I feel that subtracting should be easy--as easy as setting down a heavy weight we no longer choose to carry. Yet, it feels difficult and time-consuming in itself: how to prioritize what to let go? Will it all be okay?

I'd love to hear your tips for subtracting. Where to begin? How to coach yourself through this philosophy that stands at odds with our consumer "get more" social/cultural education? Perhaps put them into your book?

Two related concepts that you might incorporate or enjoy: de-junking/de-cluttering and minimalism.

Thanks for sharing, Derek.

This concept has a tremendous amount of merit. I know Nassim Taleb talks about it with regards to Anti-fragility, but where I find it most useful is with nutrition: the body is always, on its own, attempting to move towards "health" and removing or limiting poisons will do more for a person than adding a "superfood". I believe that this is a key reason why many people see results when changing to a new diet like vegetarianism, Paleo, etc., it is because they inadvertently removed a lot of the low quality food and their body can now operate more efficiently rather than adding some new vegetable or organ meat that all of a sudden gave them more nutrients (although that is possible).

Dear Derek,

I couldn't agree more with your take on having a narrow focus and say "no" to most of the things, while keep working passionately for these and those you really love. Keeping an open mind is what it mainly takes for us to transform our life and "instead of being a wandering generality we become a meaningful specific.."

I like the perspective you have, I agree sometimes we need to get rid of things in our life that don't benefit us.

Amen, bro!

Loving this!

We think that learning works like this:
Current Knowledge + New Knowledge = Learning + Performance

But a more helpful model is this:
Performance = Potential – Interference

It's all about reducing interference. Subtracting.

I wrote a post on this recently, much inspired by your previous thoughts and writings: http://www.kodawaricoaching.se/blog/unlearning-to-learn/

The concept of subtracting is so important, especially today when we have so much to be distracted by! Focus is all that is needed to success, to subtract is to focus. Thank you so much for sharing this with me today!

Not to be impolite, but when people ask for thoughts, they are really asking for a compliment. I imagine you are actually asking for feedback to improve your book which I'm looking forward to. If not, my apologies.

In keeping with your lesson of less can be better, I've edited a couple of paragraphs to delete words. I pretend every word I subtract is a $1,000 added to my pocket.
For what it's worth...
--Begin
Imagine a horizontal line, with 0 on the left and 20 on the right. I want to be in the middle, at 10. But I’m at 17.

“What can I add to get to 10? I tried adding 8 but that didn’t work. Maybe 3 would help? I should go all-out and add 50.”

No amount of adding will get me where I want to be.
-- End

Also, join the conversation in the readers mind.
More people die from eating too much than eating too little. I know what you're thinking, that's not true. For the entire history of humanity, scarcity of food was a bigger problem than abundance. Everyone knows that. Until 2010 everyone was right.
GREAT suggestions! Thanks Peter! (And yes I'm always looking for real suggestions, not compliments.) — Derek

Wow, I've been struggling with letting go of some of the too many things I've got going on. The adding mindset is very deeply ingrained. It is time to subtract.
I greatly appreciate this post.

I absolutely love what you're doing. Thanks for the gentle reminder :)

"More people die from eating too much than eating too little."

I understand what you're saying, but there are parts of the world where famine is still a plague. That's what popped to mind when I read that sentence. Perhaps you could tweak it: "More people die now from eating too much than ever in the history of the world."

Or something like that.

All the best.

Great insight.
Appreciate you Derek and for sharing!

"God gives us room, for us to work;
We need to always give Him room to work"
The more we do; the less allowances he has to do.

We cultivate,plant,fertilize, water, harvest! GOD GROWS IT!
My son told when he was about 12 years old;
MAN DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GROW A TREE;
HE DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS!
Hal and LaDena Gullick
www.cdbaby.com/cd/eternallife

So true,use it in all my Martial arts classes and way more gets done.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I've been on a decluttering crusade for a long time and it's gradually showing some results. In parts of my house I can actually find things!

"More people die from eating too much than eating too little." -- No greater truth in this article than this in the developed world. Can't wait for the finished book!

Subtracting could also mean giving. As we enter the holiday season fraught with over indulgence and high consumerism, I'm inclined to give, give, give more than ever. In essence, subtracting by donating clothing and household items to refugee families, giving food and sharing experiences instead of piles of stuff, saying no to stress and emotional traps, giving myself the gift of peace and time to contemplate and reflect on the year.

Thanks for this.

God, you are so right!

Man, could I have used this post a few days ago! Just took on some extra projects that have added to the stress level. I like the looping example that someone brought up. I have a similar observation: You, Derek, practice what you preach on this "Subtract" idea by explaining with writing that is clear, engaging, and succinct. Thank you for the post.

Awareness of what’s driving an individual’s choice to add or subtract at any given time is key. You and Tiger gave clear examples and generalizations. It’s a cycle and I thank you, again Derek.

Thanks Derek - this is so true! I recently started adding the "subtracting" routine to my goal planning - I now ask myself: "What can I do LESS of?". (I believe I 'borrowed' this from a Tim Ferriss goals exercise).
Looking forward to the book!

- Gary

So great, I love this idea, I new this in my mind but you just explained it so clearly that I got in so deeply
.THANK YOU.

Great article, I would say that underneath the "adding" ingrained in our psyche is also a great fear of lack. Honestly fear and lack are at the core of almost all greed, emotional obstacles, and even war.
Everything is an "inside job" not an outside one. No matter what the numbers are.

Hi Derek,
I love this. Been adding too much and not subtracting.
I wanted to get your thoughts on a related subject—missed opportunities. We associate missed opportunities with things we didn’t add into our lives. So your essay made me think about opportunities that could have had opened up if I just subtracted a bunch of crap and had room in my life to pursue and actually take to completion.

Thanks,
Linda

My apartment has just been sold, so my rent will probably double when my lease expires. For me, it looks like what has to go is the apartment, and most of what is in it, including my work shop, and music studio. Those things barely make enough to pay the rent as it is now. At my age, I am not likely to find a job, especially not one which actually pays my rent. Will I be homeless? Maybe, but if I am, I will be much better off if I can get an old jalopy RV and live in that, thus trying to make this a "controlled crash" if at all possible. That might also enable me to go somewhere else, way far from here, where it is still possible for an honest working person to actually make ends meet. I'm an old man, and don't do change very well. There will be a lot of subtracting in my life, and hopefully, what I add to make it still work will be enough. Subtracting is often necessary, but very scary when you have to do a lot of it at once. I can still do music gigs, I have gotten good enough to do this without the studio I used to record backgrounds with, or a car load of equipment. It would be possible to carry just a guitar, a battery powered amp and my ancient RC20 looper, and my 3 or 4 favorite flutes. That won't take up much space. I probably should have gotten rid of most of my music stuff a long time ago.
!! Good luck. That sounds like a tough transition. Sounds healthy to expect and prepare the worst. But I wish you the best. — Derek

I understand this perspective. I believe, as everything in life, it depends. It is a beautiful philosophy when this 'having less' 'adding less' 'eating less' is a choice. How privileged we are to be able to choose, to be able to notice and decide to live a rich and profound inner life.
thanks for sharing with us

Dear Derek,

Thanks for your email, I love reading this because it's such a good reminder of something I know deep down but tend to forget as I keep adding. It's a great message and I think it definitely NEEDS to be shared. This is my humble feedback:
Would it be an option to include an illustration to the 0-20 thing where you are at 17 and looking to get to 10? I think it would make it even more clear.

I hear a lot about emotional obstacles and limiting beliefs, I think this is abstract to a lot of people. Would it be a good idea to give an example to make it more concrete? Something people can relate to.

The last sentence, I find a little confusing. I would suggest something along the lines of: Subtracting reminds me that what I need to change is to eliminate from my life, not add to it.. Dunno, what do you think?

Thanks for sharing this with me, your posts are always great insights to success that we don't hear often enough.

Kind regards

Lynn
Yes, definitely. There will be an image there in the future. Thanks for the feedback, too! — Derek

"Less, but better." - Essentialism

Was delighted to see you pop-up in the inbox, Derek. Can't wait for the book. :)

Thanks Derek,

Always a pleasure to hear from you. I love the idea and been practicing it through out the years. Life comes and goes so fast it's important to spend it doing things that you love and choose.

peace, Tony
www.tonynatale.com

I really relate to this post in so many ways Derek, so thank you. Got a job offer yesterday that I know I will refuse because even though more money seems like a better thing in some ways, I know that the time spent would hurt so much else in my life. Lately, I’ve been actually enjoying subtracting people from my artist email list at least as much as I enjoy adding people to it. It feels like cutting the mold off a block of cheese to discover the pristine and vital nourishment beneath. I would rather have the right lesser than the wrong greater.

Hi Derek!

First of all, it is great that you give us a direct and easy path to give you feedback on this great project of yours.

I couldn't agree more about what you wrote in "substract". However, have you considered adding some real life examples? Some that will not only help us (readers of your work) be convinced, but also help us convince other people out there that they should get their life back and do less. I often think about your personal story about how you would spend hours playing with your young son until he was tired of it, instead of limiting his playtime like most parents in order to fit it in their busy schedule. I also remember you considered that time as meditation... This mindset had already helped me enjoy my two young kids to a greater level. Thank you for that, and maybe that's an example you want to use.
Also comes to my mind two books related to that: "the end of absence" (about setting the habit of some "tech free" days in our lives) and "it's ok not to share" (parents book that among other things emphasize the importance of unlimited free play... For kids and grow ups).
Derek, if you're ever in San Jose California and have as less as 15 min available of your time, I'd love to meet you in person some day... no pressure of course!
Have a wonderful time writing your book. Looking forward to reading your answer and the final book of course 😉
Thanks for the suggestion, RF. That helps. — Derek

Suburban mom of teens. Sitting in the parking lot of the grocery. Taking 5 minutes I just found to type a message to someone I don't even know on the phone keypad I can barely see bc I haven't taken my old eyes to the doc to update my prescription and I'm also a little weepy because I feel like you're reading my mail! Now, can I do this? Subtract something(s)?!?

Good conclusion but paragraphs 2 and 3 are confusing.
Perhaps it might be simpler to list a few things people want more of: money, possessions, property or influence for e.g.?

Can't wait for the new book!

Yes, yes, YES. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and when his troubles became serious I quit everything. All my contract work, board work commitments, travel plans, shopping, eating out – to be with him in a small city in the prairies.
At first I felt very very bored although I was working hard to get services and supports for my dad. But ultimately I began to feel liberated - giving up all of that work and travel and shopping created great amounts of space and time in my life and my brain - it seemed now as if true luxury was not having more and doing more - but quite the opposite! Although my dad is quite well supported now I have decided not to return to my ‘I’m so busy life’ but instead I have chosen to have TIME over THINGS.

I'm not sure; what if i’m only at five but afraid to try for ten? Controlled and limited by fear?

Excellent. Yes!

Sounds perfect to me! I say no to so many things and sometimes feel a kind of remorse by doing so. Not anymore!

Nailed it as always bud.

This day and age has somehow fooled people into believing that compounding is the way to go... " become a mountain"

So ending up with an overload of everything is what consumes you in the end.

Very valuable insight i am taking home with me tonight.

Thank you Derek

This is something everyone probably thinks they know when they read it, but I reckon very few people actually live this way. A good reminder!

Completely agree!
Too much overload of too much un neccassary junk and doing other's agendas.

Reminds me that the canvas can hold anything, but not everything.

I have “added by subtracting” many times.

Derek:
" Most of us have too much baggage, too many commitments, and too many priorities."

I read somewhere that word "priority" used to be singular (Latin origin), meaning THE most important thing. Sadly now we have many most important things, many number ones in todo lists...

Adding and subtracting appear to be a theme in my life this week. They first showed up as a rule for changing (bad) habits. This rule said 'always add before you subtract'. I realise now that if I do that then I stay in the same place on the number line. I now see this rule as being for someone who already has the balance that they want in their lives.

Hell Yeah! Subtract all the gunk from a pile of psychology tomes, and you're left with that gem of a mini essay. Thank you Derek.

Hi Derek,
Thanks for sharing this article with me, the new book seems really interesting. I think that what you point out is extremely important in the lives we have today. It has a strong relation to living a minimalist life, which studies show that increases happiness. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with ads and materialistic things and it is normal that we fall in the trap. But as you say, it is important to be aware and make the effort of subtracting and living a more simplistic life having only what you need to be happy (this can certainly differ from person to person). I am looking forward to the release of the book!

Great thoughts. Lately I've been trying to remove a lot from my life. Less sugar, less drinking, less social media/phone use, etc. These things tend to take more than they give and so by removing them, I have more time, energy, and a better mental health to tackle the things that are truly important to me.

Hi Derek,

I love the overall message, very stoic.

One minor pedantic grammar point. The second sentence doesn't quite make sense:

'The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them'.

I get what you're saying here but it's quite a fiddly sentence saying 'the world' and 'them'.

Maybe try this as an alternative?

'The world pushes us to add, because adding supposedly creates value.'

Less IS more. I have been watching vids on how others record and mixdown from an analog format to a computer and I am always amazed by their extra steps and added equipment.

Derek, Good article. I see you've put some thought into it. My thinking.. I try to be a God fearing person so I see some perspective in this regarding our relationship with the Lord. If your 20 number is the max then that would be the Lord's relationship with us if we're born again in Him. Our relationship with him is to subtract the sins that beset us daily in our life. That is to do our best to walk in his Spirit and in his word. To stay in the middle is not the place to be. God Bless

Right on! This perfectly dovetails with a personal philosophy I adopted some years ago to streamline my life. I call it “One Less Thing.” That phrase actually became a mantra; every time I got rid of an object/distraction/unpleasant association, I would say “one less thing” out loud to myself as a form of congratulations. 8 years later I am proud to say I’ve eliminated 90% of my possessions and obsessions, and am savoring the pure joy of focusing on only those few, precious things that make me happy. Subtraction indeed!
Cool example! Thanks Brad! I hear it in Forrest">www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKp9Z8vuOXc">Forrest Gump’s voice. ☺ — Derek

Derek,
I see some readers are hung up on the sentence, "more people die of overeating..."

Since your readers are all, at this point, " computer users" maybe you could substitute that term for people. Maybe you could brainstorm for other terms—no point in me generating examples for you here.

By nature I seem to be interested in everything. My attention expands to include whatever seems to peak my interest, and I love following my interests. And I love this freedom.

But one thing I've noticed about myself is that once I start something, a new habit, for instance, that by default, I unconsciously assume that I will be doing this on-goingly. That is I don't have an idea of ever stopping. I don't have the idea that at some point, that activity will have served it's purpose, and then I can let go of it.

I will overdo and get frazzled until at some point, then realize it's just too much; that I really can't do it ALL...but guess what? I also have had a deep unexamined belief that to quit an activity, is to fail.

I'd like to get better at letting myself take up activities for a season or a reason, and to understand that once that has been met, it's OK to stop, or to switch, and that this is not quitting or failing, but rather staying current with my needs. Maybe that involves being very clear about WHY I'm taking something on. WHAT needs does it meet for me?

Derek,

This is well written and gets the point across to me. I would say, as a former teacher, that including an example or two from real life might make the point accessible to more people.

The example I like to use is how a lot of people I know have said to me that they wished their houses were cleaner. I point out that it's not that they don't clean frequently or well enough. It's because there is a disincentive to clean because there are too many material possessions piled on the floors and counter tops that need moving to have access to vacuum, sweep, or dust.

What we want is a clean, clear space, and we are encouraged to keep it that way if we have access to do so. Clutter, and it's continual accumulation comes from the subconscious value placed on filling space rather than valuing the freedom and ease provided by the space itself. Everything is on a continuum of course. I admit to being a bit of an ascetic myself. Not everyone needs to get rid of all their furniture and have house plants on wooden roller trays. I do feel though, that teaching the value of space, and subtracting some literal or metaphorical furniture, would help a lot of people.

Thanks for being a good teacher and sharing what you've learned so freely and concisely.

Sincerely,

Michael Musika

LOVE IT!!!

LOVE this! Exactly the perspective I've been trying to get through my thick skull lately! After reading the book "Essentialism" for the first time, I've been binge reading books that hit on minimalism. (I guess this might not be very minimalist of me! 😂)

SUPER excited about the new book Derek! I need more "Hell Yeah or No" in my life man!

Will you be releasing a Kindle version of it?

Love it, as I do most of your writing!

One small suggestion? How about a specific example of two? Maybe from your own life or something you've seen. Example: "I stopped using social media and with those extra 2 hours a day I did _____ which led to _____."

You DA MAN, Derek. Keep on it.

Michael

Add the love and subtract the hate. Look deeply at the substance to be added or subtracted. A unit of love can take you to the top and beyond while sustaining worthwhile manifestation.

Right. But a reminder: subtracting won’t guarantee success either. Nothing does. But it changes your relationship to what you do have. When I subtract, I’m always humbled to discover how much time what is left suddenly takes up, which makes me realize what short shrift I was giving those things before, how much more attention they always needed. And I also see how much more I enjoy them, and how much less they feel like work. But we also have to face the uncomfortable fact that the fewer things we do, the more those things define us, and too many of us fear having that limited an identity. What if, we think, I am only a furniture maker instead of the “more than that” we crave always to be? All I can ever say to this is that life is long and has room for other chapters, and then that you have no idea what world’s furniture making can contain until you let it occupy your life fully. Better to do so and find out.

Leave Space

Hello Derek, congratulations on the new book to be. I like the concept of the article. Recently I have been reading a lot of books about investing and something similar was said that really stuck with me.

Instead of just thinking about how to make more, think about spending less. It is such a simple concept, but makes so much sense.

Peace and be well.

Bobby Borg
Author Music Marketing For The DIY Musician, Business Basics for Musicians, Five Star Music Makeover, and The Musicians Handbook

Great content! Always a good reminder that "less is more" Cool if I share a screenshot of this on my FB page? I'll make sure to credit you of course.
Of course. Anything I put on my site is free for copying and sharing. See the huge link at the end of the article. ☺ — Derek

I totally understand you wanting to be succinct. It struck me today that, with so few words, the enjoyment of experiencing a STORY is lost, subtracting integrity from the work. My humble opinion ☺
I love your work and the direction you represent, Derek.
Great point. Thanks Roger! — Derek

Agreed 100%. Love this. I Follow the principle. Less is more.

In order to accomplish anything, we have to focus. In order to focus, we have to eliminate distractions. Most of the things people say to me are a distraction. Thanks for the article

Wow. This is exactly the new direction for mel. This great high we are trained to add and add. I love beauty but beauty gets cluttered by too much to see. This is so simple and so important. I love this particular way to wake us myself and others up. I even see it in people's refrigerators! So much on a shelf that you don't know even what is there.
I will keep this in mind this year to come and see what happens.
Recently out here we had the horrible camp fire. I went to each section of clothing and shoes and coats. I asked myself: What can I release? I gave away to 3 families my good stuff I could have resold and instead it feels wonderful to have more room on the shelves and closets. That same principle of feeling better letting go of extra. Thanks Derek. Your writing content is inspiring to me.

You are Rich as Hell! ☺
Your questions are defined by feeling secure that you can take care of your obligations.

Most of the U.S population is in a constant state of anxiety, because they can't meet their obligations. Poor people don't have security.

Help others out of debt and give them peace of mind.

Use your 22 million to buy everyone out of debt. This will show you how it's done.

all my best,
@cyberplayground
K12PlayGround.com

- What do you do when you don’t have to do anything?
- Where do you go when you don’t have to be anywhere?
- What else could I be?
- Where else could I be?
- How can I make a real change?

READ

about The activist tactic of buying and forgiving debt

Micah White originated the concept on February 9, 2009.
www.micahmwhite.com/social-change-theory/origin-rolling-jubilee

Investigate

www.rollingjubilee.org -- http://rollingjubilee.org/#faq

www.strikedebt.org

cyberplayground.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/john-oliver-15-million-one-time-giveaway-in-television-show-history/

See Rolling Jubilee
http://rollingjubilee.org/
A bailout of the people by the people

Rolling Jubilee is a Strike Debt project that buys debt for pennies on the dollar, but instead of collecting it, abolishes it. Together we can liberate debtors at random through a campaign of mutual support, good will, and collective refusal. Our latest project The Debt Collective aims to build collective power to challenge the way we finance and access basic necessities such as housing, medical care and education. Join us as we imagine and create a new world based on the common good, not Wall Street profits.

Ironic counterpoint; be careful that you're not just adding "subtraction" without deploying it. If unused then it's just one more thing you've added.

Hey Derek: I liked the subtraction piece. Simple, short and impactful. It fits one of our operating laws - THE LAW OF ABUNDANCE - "more is not better and better is not BEST!" The idea of subtraction or reduction is also made more powerful by adding THOUGHTFUL. I'm amazed at the commitment people misplace on simplicity trying to achieve it without a process for decision making.
Your stuff is really good!

Oh great! I just about had myself convinced I should buy a third guitar! Good timing.
Seriously though, this is a profound principle and the only way to contentment. If I am dependant on 'more things' then I will never be content, no matter how much I have, because there will always be more.
Time on the other hand is of a limited quantity. Say 'no' often.

Yes! I agree with this 100%. In many ways I’ve ALWAYS
Has a minimalist approach to “ what is needed”.
Applying “ what to let go of “ has, for me always been more effective.
However, I HAVE found that in the area of DEBT, which I managed to to incur several years ago over vehicle problems, and other “ life” stuff, ADDING more INCOME works much better than “ tightening the belt.
In the area of GIGS , however, I’ve also found that generally it’s easier to ADD more money with focused “ house concerts” and small brewery tours, than to play a local circuit endlessly dealing with local politics and unresponsive or extremely dense club owners that LIMIT
One’s range of possibilities in a given area.
I STILL find, that the internet, with it’s seemingly endless range of possibilities, is a veritable brain suck of “ offers” and a minefield of cons that are almost never what they seem on the surface.
So getting RID of all sorts of articles ) present company excepted, as I enjoy yours most of the time, is starting to become a sort of challenge of picking and choosing.
That has always driven my choices in which venues I’ve chosen to play , within my “ choices”.
Invariably , I’ve found that the venues which give me the most grief over petty stuff and “ attitude” are ALWAYS the one’s that pay the least and expect the most.
I try to eliminate THOSE and ADD the venues that really SUPPORT my music and are FRIENDLY, and KIND. That also especially apples to friends and “ fellow musicians” who, suprise- can be very competitive, catty and cliqe- ish.
Life is good though and I ADDED a girlfriend 11/2 years ago, that has been a joy the whole way, and ADDED two rescue kittens that showed up at our house ( on a 40 acre farm in the country) and they two have provided endless laughs and comfort watching them grow and acclimate into the household. Both good choices!

It took me some time to to figure out what to subtract, but the process was worth every minute put into it. I mean, getting rid of everything in bulk isn’t going to help at all, either. In my case, choices had to be made.

I’m much better off with less. Seeing others burdened by their own way of being saddens me, even if I could laugh at their absurd efforts (what’s the point of running from a place to another to do stuff while adding up other things to a Lvl 20 burden. It’s like some video games being only about upgrading, getting better stats, etc.

Adding is definitely a thing of the past.

Glad this will be in your book, Derek!

George Carlin once said: « trying to amass riches is like taping sandwiches over your body when you’re hungry ».

I couldn’t agree more.. I’ve always been a distracted, say yes, emotionally connected being. I started saying no to work and other opportunities. I started intermentant fasting. I’ve recently been practicing not being reactive to people and situations. And although it takes practice.. the benefits, even from just the awareness and efforts, are instant. In all three scenarios.

I absolutely love this section of your book. These principles have served me very well over the last 9 years or so and my life has changed significantly as a result. I really can't speak for other parts of the world, but for Americans at least, I believe these principles are imperative to any kind of quality of life these days. Only downfall in my case are the results of doing such a great job of implementing said principles. In short, people have learned not to contact me anymore or send invitations to events. Allows for a focused, peaceful living environment without distractions, which I highly value, but its up to me now to reach out and create social interactions... not necessarily one of my strengths. Moral of the story... depending on your commitment to implementing these valuable principles, the results may not ALL be positive or what you might expect.

Hell Yeah !!!

You're right. Human beings, over all, are "collectors" by nature. We like to hang onto our stuff and we like to hang onto our beliefs and we hang onto self-protocol.
But when people get old, they tend to let a lot of that go. They can't see past a few years like they could when they were young, so things and ideas aren't as important to them anymore. Anyway, that's the way I look at it. I hope it's valid.

I totally agree and have been pondering this myself. I think it's because we always feel that we need *more* information. But we're drowning in information. More likely, we need to decide.

Or, we know what we want and we seek extra information to validate when it's unnecessary, or counterproductive. Thanks!

In "The Proverbs of Hell" William Blake wrote, "dip him in the river who loves water". I think he was referring to this very idea...though in a more obfuscated way.

Say no and de-clutter. So true! As an instrument builder, I have been trying toFeng Shui/Kaizen my operation. If it does not magically get my instruments built, it goes! More stuff does not equal better stuff!

This article really speaks to my heart. Lisa and I have been looking at our lives through this same prism. How did we get so much stuff? Why do we need it? I look back at my early twenties, how little we had, and realize we are no happier now with all of this stuff than we were back then.

Great piece - it really resonated with me - especially "The least successful people I know run in conflicting directions, drawn to distractions, say yes to almost everything, and are chained to emotional obstacles." Unfortunately, I have to admit that that's me - I get very distracted and I rarely get anything fully finished. My goal is to to focus on ONE thing at a time from now on and not let my innate compulsion to help everybody else throw me off my own path! Thank you for the timely reminder!

Hey Derek!

I've been on a subtraction campaign for almost 20 years. But often it's really hard to do. You are right that everybody in this society has MORE and more "ingrained" in them like a stain that won't come out. Your're last sentence that I saw is totally spot on. In my case the more I can subtract from my like the better off I feel. The only thing I want to increase anymore is beautiful, stimulating music. I will say, "Hell Yeah" to that on any day, and to people who know what that is.
Greatest of luck to you on your book, Derek! Bill

Help contextualize this better for me: "But the secret is to focus on subtracting." The reason for my difficulty is the presupposition that prior to "add or subtract" conundrum, there is at least something real to be subtracted from. I hope I have not made this seem overthought or philosophical. Please clarify.

Thank you
Removing obstacles instead of adding more tools? — Derek

Great stuff! And certainly something we could all contemplate further. My respectful comment is that "subtracting" is a great simple concept to rally around and keep as a reminder during our daily endeavors, however, the concept itself seems to really be about discipline. Specifically, ADDING more discipline. More people die from eating too much than too little. Remedy, ADD more discipline. Too many distractions? ADD discipline to the current prioritized project and steadfastly stay on track (like you did learning to code).

Absolutely respect and love all that you do. Keep up the good work! Happy to discuss further is you like.

Mike

This was right on time for me! I am a speaker, singer and storyteller (new author) and although they can do all of them extremely well trying to fit them together all at once has me being a master of none! Having a "you can do it all" mindset and encouragement from others has left me unable to focus on perfecting one thing at a time. This "subtraction" method just makes a lot of sense for my life right now. Thanks Derek! Your wisdom is always right on point!

Derek, great article ! This one spoke to me. I am a huge fan of Alan Watts and zen philosophy and I think this is a nice modern day realization of the age old problem that people think they don’t have enough, and are constantly chasing after the next thing. Ultimately they end up spending all their time doing things that aren’t actually important to them in order to get nowhere because they never truly decided what it is that they need in order to be fulfilled. It’s sad to witness and i try to talk with people in my life about fixing it. This subtraction analogy is an excellent way to explain it.

The least said the bett

I like this.

When considering adding or subtracting something it can be useful to consider impacts which may compound over time.

Adding cooking skills, I can be more creative with fewer items, I can be healthier, I can save more and subtract unnecessary appliances.

Doing more exercise, I can have lower health care expense and more health and pleasure.

Watching more TV, I will think fewer of my own thoughts and accomplish less, and I will be fed ideas about needing more things.

Signing up for more complicated financial products, I will have more risks I don’t understand and more worry.

Buying products which require a series of other purchases to maintain them, I will spend more money/time/space/mental effort on them.

Adding or subtracting a friend, I do the same with whatever costs and benefits of that relationship and any relationships resulting from it.

Great article - after recently reading "Letting Go" by David Hawkins and stepping up my meditation game, I've been getting rid of as much stuff as possible and its been very rewarding. I've been a minimalist for most of my life, but still have way more stuff than I need. Subtract! Mark Blashkiw Ada, Michigan

I'm a big believer in serial monogamy when it comes to projects. One project at a time ☺

Love this. Has been a resounding theme lately for me to focus. Steve Jobs, Warren buffet, Bill gates, and so many more have said something similar Focus is their #1 driving factor for success.

The writing is good and the idea is solid. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to reading the new book!

ps - we are in a subtracting phase, downsizing our home, selling stuff, and refocusing on health, control of our time, and being with people we love. I timely article indeed.

What an excellent premise for a book!! You continue to reveal the good character that has grown within you. When I signed up with CDBABY so long ago, the ultimate question was "can I trust this company and its founder?" My emails with you sealed the deal! I knew signing up with CDBABY was the right thing. I still believe that! Your good character shined through your emails. And despite a music "quiet" season (and time of character growth in us), my husband and I have much more music in us to write and market to the world. We're just getting started.......Keep up the good work in all you do Derek! You have much to offer this world and have already positively affected so much of us. Cease the moments in front of you and continue to make a long lasting impression to those around you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
☺ Thanks Michelle — Derek

If anyone doubts the power of "subtraction"...

Go to Youtube and search for "Tyson Fury Joe Rogan Podcast".

Tyson Fury fought for the boxing heavyweight championship this past
weekend.

In the podcast, he gets as real as you can be about "having it all".

He had the mansions, cars, and everything that money could buy.

Yet every morning, he awoke with such bad depression, he wanted to end his life.

His saving grace was the power of focus and wanting to become the champ again.

He subtracted everything else but his boxing camp and family and almost won the title.

It's always about the journey.
Wow! Great example. Thanks for posting this. — Derek

Seems like somewhere around WWII " Progress" became THE goal. I needed to read what you said here.. to remind me... that it is not my goal. TOO much. TOO many. = A less than life experience.

thanks... looking forward to more... --!- Just kidding.

It seems to be the case that many people think the only way to obtain happiness is to have, be, or do more — a myth perpetuated by advertising, no doubt. However, we are witnessing a movement towards simpler lifestyles that indicate an awareness of the principle "less is more". Beware, there's a whole host of marketers that are capitalizing on the idea of simple living too, via publications and advertising that show you how to live a simpler lifestyle and, oh by the way, you'll want to buy this or that for your new downsized living environment. How about a Tiny Home!

So Derek, I absolutely agree with you that life can be improved by subtracting. Especially if it involves trimming the fat. It might also be improved by adding though. More love. More time with friends perhaps instead of pursuing less fulfilling activities. Less obfuscation, more transparency. Less unnecessary busyness and more time well spent.

All said, I come full circle to a similar conclusion as yourself, except that I'd truncate your words even further to say 'the secret is to focus'.

"Saying no" requires context. I'll assume this includes a quick analysis regardiing need or future benefit first. It's a tough balance. I'm my line of work I sometimes deal with contractors who habitually say yes to everything and are often not able to deliver the best ins services, if even deliver at all. Now- existentially one could argue they have to, because quite often contingencies occur; clients cancel, money disappears or compensation becomes difficult. But it is terribly frustrating on the client end to have something pushed down the road because there's a scramble going on. Quality suffers. That's that kind of yes/no dichotomy. Then there's the thinking that marketers so love- if only you had this tool, instrument, software, device, or book you'll have the clear advantage in your field. And who doesn't want to win? But I have found that these accumulated possessions can often muddy the water in terms of a path to realizing what it is you want to do. You hear this often with musicians- "I have 100 guitar sounds at my disposal. Which one is the best for this track?" He/she knows that trying them all out is probably too time consuming and leads to further diffusion of the concept as one starts off on a tangent in the creation process. I remember John Densmore of The Doors when asked why he always uses a 3 or 4 piece jazz kit as opposed to the oft seen arsenal of kick drums and floor toms stated that he wanted to do as much as he could with a minimal set. Simplicity is often lost to the pornography of the world of musical instruments. When Scotty Moore entered Sun studios he had one guitar with him. And with that he created a lifetime's worth of tone.

Hi Derek,

Thanks for the invitation to comment on your piece. It reminded me of quote that Tim Ferris shared in his 5-Bullet email. I've provided the quote below. I like the points you listed for the most successful people. You gotta have some form of strategic and financial goals and know the objectives that get you there. That helps filter out the junk and keep things quantifiable, measurable. We get only one shot at this right? Number 25 and 29 are funny!

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. - Thoreau

Very well said. I appreciate the reminder.

Oh so true. I have been eliminating for years and should have an empty house, mind and garage by now, but no. Every time I feel I’m getting closer to my goal, my head fills up and the rest seems to follow. Although I never give up.

I say hell yeah! and would add :

"He who dies with the least toys wins – because the more you know, the less you need".

And as for music, a song is finished when there's nothing else to remove.

Goes the same for the people in our lives – a few quality relationships, and avoiding wasting time with people who are a weight instead of uplifters and joy providers.

Brilliant. So very true. It comes in a week when I really needed to hear it.

As a scientist I am constantly trying to add to my knowledge and stay "current" so that I can maintain my expertise. That doesn't work every time and it doesn't work for everything. But it is ingrained. I am always trying to learn more because I am afraid that I will miss out on that nugget of information that will alter my entire hypothesis. It wrecks my confidence and chains me down.

Thanks for the reminder to lighten the load.

Want what I have - not Have what I want. It is hard to remember sometimes but a great rule to try to live by

A musician's credo that I still believe and you have again broken down to: "LESS IS MORE!" Cheers!

It's one of my problems. I can do many things well, but choosing the right one to focus on is murder. I want to do them all. I've been thinking for many years of cutting back, but it isn't in my DNA.

Food for thought...especially that more people die from eating too much than eating too little
It's said that we spend the first part of our lives collecting things and second part getting rid of things.

3 more concise aspects I would like to add/formulate to this topic:

- "Do not more. Do less." So it's very effective to do less things a day, but with more focus. (Like told in some way in "Deep Work" from Cal Newport)

- So is it my goal to reach the 0 on the horizontal line? Is it always better to be on 0 than on 2?

- If yes, can we call a 0-live "Minimalism"? Is minimalism the ultimate goal of substracting?

Best Regards

Subtracting includes old patterns of thought about the "shoulds" in social interchange that are not always necessary and sometimes even destructive.The problem in subtracting often happens with beliefs attached to a moral value which can put one at odds with oneself!

So young and so wise Sir Derek

I have 4300 unopened emails... but I always read yours.

p.s. Cd Baby is still selling my "Captain's Collection" of self-whittled sea ballads.

I have published my third book of Zen Philosophy, Karma, romance and weird-abilty on Amazon. "Maui Out of Body" by Oliver Gold. Using a pen name because I don't want the people ( women ) I write about to ever find me again. Oh and it's the story of the young Philappina girl who found me online and we've been married 12 years. Minimal living is something she was used to on the island of Leyte. Here on Maui, she has a washing machine and a Mercedes... adding just a little bling bling to our quiet and subtracted life. Aloha

Subtracted just now by skimming very quickly through your comments. I'm curious to know from YOUR personal experience what you are subtracting? Make it real for me, coming from someone I admire like you. How are you getting to 10?

Less is more!

man it's like you were talking directly to me. powerful thought that makes a lot of sense. thanks for sharing derek

Call it addition by subtraction. This also gets back to the the reality that there is a finite amount of time and it’s our most precious resource.

I know everyone will not be happy to hear this, but it sounds like Gospel. When Jesus started His ministry, John the Baptist said, "He must increase. I must decrease." Jesus Himself said, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it." In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Jesus actually had a lot to say about reducing, subtracting, and minimizing.

Love it - Very deep!

Derek,

Subtraction is something I've begun to understand in the last year. I think this is a timely article.

Nassim Taleb espouses the concept of Via Negativa, that improvement is most easily and safely experienced by removing negative behaviors and stimuli. For example, quitting smoking improves your health more than taking any prescription medication ever could, but neither cigarette nor pharmaceutical companies make money from you ceasing smoking or taking drugs.

I'm working hard to drown out the noise of everyday life and have been reading the work of Tristan Harris and Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky.

My phone is not allowed to make noise or show banner notifications for anything, people who are magnets for drama or banality are marked "do not notify" on my phone, I have scheduled periods of time where calls cannot get through, and I'm reducing the amount of media content I consume to focus on creating my own.

Subtraction doesn't benefit government or business. It means less taxes and revenue for them. There is an agency problem because people make money by pushing products on us and by occupying as much of our thoughts as possible. The answer is to disconnect from the matrix and reclaim or our mind and our own time.

I think our evolution in small tribes is also a reason why we're drawn to take on more all the time. We're afraid to miss out on something and be embarrassed in a conversation if someone brings up a current event we haven't heard of. But, that's all vanity, we're not in small tribes anymore.

Some direct feedback: I don't understand the number line example well, it doesn't work for me. I think I understand the moral of the lesson. Maybe a sketch would help or a different example.

Great thoughts, I agree-most of us could use a lot less stuff.

I am not sure the statement, "more people die from eating too much than eating too little" can be supported by fact. It is a complicated issue for sure, but there are a lot of humans who die not only for eating too little, but too little of healthy items. It is a difficult thing to truly measure.

Just a thought. Keep writing!

This is something I always hear when I need to. Lately I have been adding more and more and only getting overwhelmed. I need to remember that life subtracting leads to balance and also paradoxically gives me the space to move in the directions I really want to be going

Love this. I've been working hard to subtract this year, but was referring to it as "simplifying". Wonderfully written!

Dear Derek, What is important and makes me happy are my priority is life.
Utilities, commitments are not important.
In this sense I completely agree with your statement.

Happy holidays season to you and your beloved..
With love Anaya

"Perfection is achieved,
not when there's nothing more to add,
but when there's nothing left to take away"
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Great article but too short. But you got the point across.
When I want more I’m never satisfied. If I’m thankful and show gratitude then I’m happy with what I have. To find total happiness, give away what you treasure the most. And be thankful.

Enlightenment is finding joy in everything you do and doing it with enthusiasm. Everything!

Thanks for including me in your articles.

Frank

Derek, THIS IS GREAT!!!! We get so busy and caught up in what we think others want or need from us we over do, over react. Looking forward to reading the finished project. Best of Life and Merry Christmas. Steve

Ironically, going to give this article a, "HELL YES!"

Its so hard sometimes to "subtract". We put sentimental strings to things. It always feels so much lighter when we let loose of things that weigh us down or really have no purpose.

Hey where's the Signature Derek Sivers Picture that's usually incorporated with the articles? Otherwise, a great + comprehensive write

Yes
How many times have we watched businesses continue to grow/expand right into bankruptcy. Loosing focus by adding more to my day is my biggest downfall! I quit facebook, limit my email & social media time to less than 30 minutes per day and almost have my life back now ☺

Good stuff Derek
I suppose this applies to one-sided friendships as well? Best to just let those go for the betterment of self?

After I hit submit I had one more thought.

My version of Minimalism
I'm in the process of using the concept of trades not adds in my day. I can put something new in if I take something out (trade it). I cleared my office and clothes closet out of all things I didn't use for past 3 months and can't add anything only trade.

I'll give it a try! Always strived for MORE! Thx.

So true... we add things to counteract the things we do in excess. More "fixes" to remedy the side effects of our choices when often the real fix is to minimize the offending act. Thank you for the reminder Derek.

This post is a friendly reminder Derek. Definitely something that i want to work on to subtract distractions. A wise man once said "Work with what you have."

Oops! "The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them." 'Them' is a confusing pronoun. Does it refer to 'the world?' If so, the pronoun should be 'it.' Even so, it's an awkward notion because we don't think of the world as pushing anything or getting a benefit from pushing anything. You could say "People of the world pushes us to add…" but then your reader will want to know: what people? How many? How do they benefit? A different approach would probably work better. Perhaps: "It seems from birth we are told that it is better to add than to subtract." Good luck.

Concise and important words. Thanks

Awesome thinking here. I agree with it! The last line really resonates with me. Connects me to a thought I had this morning about how there is so much within myself that I want to improve and harness. Progress in life to me is about losing all the stuff that doesn't tie in with my core values. This concept of subtracting the excess or stuff placed within you that is in fact not 'you'! Only with this subtracting do you feel most aligned with your inner voice because nothing else exists. :)

Very well said Derek, and so appropriate for every aspect of one’s life; especially in getting clear of what’s truly important and facing all that is weighing you down, that you can choose to let go. A more authentic life is only possible if you make space for it. Thank you for making that crystal clear.

My experience in the business environment is that you are 100% right.. the "More Cheese, More Sauce" approach yields a much worse result than being focused and making distinctions/choices.

If I said that the secret to being a successful songwriter is to
always write hit songs, would you call that effective nuts and bolts advice
that would immediately accelerate you to the top of the charts ?
Is there any hard working creative dreamer who could make use of that useless passionless information?
'Write a hit song' just sounds like advice. Energetic achievers are impassioned with unlanguageble incentives and even then they would probably be left with only an unexpressable noumenon to account for the miracle of their success.
Who knows how a life works? Who knows how creativity happens? Who knows where ideas come from
and how to keep your ears open for them when they do present themselves?
A person with clutter must often reach escape velocity to throw away items of microscopic importance let alone dreadnought insignificance.
You call it subtract and add to maintain a middle? It sounds speciously good,
but who knows where the middle is or if it exists at all?

...'When two people are always in agreement, it usually means that only one of them is doing the thinking.'
...- Unknown
harveysidfisher.com

The Paradox of Choice (agrees) www.harpercollins.com/9780061748998/the-paradox-of-choice/

Great thought Derek! Love the wisdom.

I have absolutely no idea how to subtract!! Looks like everything is a priority.

Well said as always. Thanks for sharing your wise words. Endlessly inspiring.

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing. My work in music wellness reminds me of how powerful a simple melody can be when it has what I call personal significance. Being a jazz improviser keeps me in the moment, and there is joy in that for me. There's so much that I want yet I find peace in what I have, and "subtracting" to me is like letting go - of habits, or old ideas, or assumptions, all of which can get in the way of that joy. Thank you~

Hi Derek, just read a calendar quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944) that may interest you, "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

Thanks for your post Derek!

It's the simple things that make such a difference in our modern complicated lives and times.

Remembering these easy habits can really improve one's life.

Thanks for all that you do Derek!

I really appreciate your generosity and love for learning. Thank you.

Derek,
BIG fan, and yes, this comment about subtracting is VERY relevant. We all do too much and figuring out what to cut out and (subtract from) is key. Thank-you for sharing! :)

Good to hear from you, Derek

There's the old Buddhist story about the musician who had his string too loose - made a thudding sound. Then he had it too tight - the string broke. Finally he replaced the string and tuned it to the perfect vibrating frequency for the instrument and it sounded great.
Cheers,
Buddy

Thanks for keeping me on the mailing list. How do I find your new book?

Very good Derek. Timely advice for me too. In the process of "scaling up" our business with new product lines. May take a little time to reconsider where the focus should be.

Cheers

Derek,
I lean towards the secret (from your first sentence) being self-awareness rather than subtracting. I think your last line speaks to this.
Sometimes we need to add - more down time, more solitude.
Sometimes we need to subtract - not just the material clutter in our life, but the mental clutter we carry around all day.
Thanks,
Zohreh

To #230 - Enjoy your perspective, as usual.

You can't change anything out there anyway. Tell me, do people actually read this stuff and take it seriously?

Thanks for posting this, D. I've been thinking about this, and you, lately. Last March, I permanently subtracted alcohol from my life. Since then, one of the guide posts I keep referring to (in my life) is something I'm pretty sure I got from you. The question to ask yourself when deciding whether to pursue something: "Does (X) give me energy, or drain me?" It's been a wonderfully easy question to pulse check. It's led me back into making music, and even doing some limited touring... but on my terms, and just for love, not on "supposed to" or to earn money. Anyhow - thanks! Hope you're doing well, wherever your current adventures have taken you. ☺ R

Derek-
Love your work, understand the concept & I think the comments reflect the same of the others. Now for my criticism:
I think the unlearning revision is excellent, anyone reading the excerpt can understand it. Not sure that's true for subtraction. I think the post could use more examples and/or a clearer definition of how you define 'subtraction.'
Love your work & admire your guts to publish in this manner. I love books like yours and your style, but curious if you couldn't grow your audience by making this post more readable to more people by offering a bit more for clarity. Hope this helps, love the idea!

Thank you very much for this article.The secret is to focus on subtracting. This is the lesson I learn and do _ and say no to almost everything.

Hello Derek,

Thanks for your email. Yes, to know what to subtract is a very intelligent way of focusing...

Sincerely,
Gong Qian

Interesting concept Derek. I have been accused of giving too much many times before. Too much of my time, too much service, too much generosity.
But, at the end of the day, its who I am.
On the other side of the coin, being an artist who believes that anything is possible, I have dumbfounded clients by offering them too many choices. Many people cannot handle more than say 5 or 6 choices at one time.
So, when it comes to choices for clients...I limit them. But, when it comes to service...I think I will always over deliver. ☺

There is a constant tug of war between gathering new expierences
and information and going deep or repeating what you already know.
The trick is in findng the inflexion at the right time, You
cannot subtracting unless you have gathered enough
to subtract from.

Similar to Essentialism - Only focus on the essential, nothing more than what is most important.

Another great post Derek!

Thanks for all that you do.

Jeff

Recently, my wife and I went to the trouble of selling our home of 35 years to move to an smaller place, just what we need at our age.

It is amazing the amount of "stuff" you accumulate throughout your life. If I were able to live again all the years of my life, I will take an special interest in eliminating purchasing things to remember a place, a vacation, to eliminate duplication in clothing, hobbies, and anything that is not essential. We should be taught at an early age that LESS is MORE.

This reminds me of Gallwey's formula > Performance = Potential - Interference.....meaning if we reduce the interference (subtract) we'll increase performance.

Mr. Derek,

Thanks for sending me this link. Always appreciated. When I first read through it, it reminded me of the Pareto Principle.

Again, thank you for sending and I look forward to more correspondence!

Kindly, Andrew

I think that the second and third "paragraphs" are the most confusing and least important part of this excerpt. Eliminate them, and in my mind the excerpt becomes much more powerful. Since you asked for our thoughts on helping to improve this for a book...those are my two cents worth. Thank you for sharing as always.

Well said - thank you for sharing!

Good points. In today's world, the adding seems to be just growing and getting worse. Too many phone calls, too many ads, too much social media, too many emails to answer, too many people causing negative distractions, and the list gets larger. I am also trying the same as you and trying to focus more on the few important things and strip back the many distractions. I am focusing on my health, learning, creation, music, etc. Letting go of things... now for me seems to be getting easier as I learn more of what I should really be doing.
Now.. I have to get off this computer so I can get back in the studio and work on my music! :) Cheers!

Hello Mr. Sivers.

This is a perfect article that I will need to follow. I did read your CD Baby
and it is an inspiration. I have a small baking business, but can never say no. Well, now I will start!!

Thank you
Fadia House

Indecision breeds anxiety... consumerism is encouraged as well as NOT delaying gratification. To change any of these is to go against and that’s no fun! You must be a lemming (do you remember this game? Most don’t.... it was such a great lesson!) I have loved the nomadic life and then started to purchase a ton of books on it.

That failed.

I had to lose everything before I realized the freedom I let by not having to worry about so much. Decision fatigue - even Obama only only had two choices in the morning a blue or grey suit...

I love this, as always your writing reminds me that I have the right idea despite the subliminal messages and scowling peers. Einstein had a quote about it too, but it’s amongst many other quotes I’ve collected...

Time to subtract. Again. ☺

I like the theme of subtracting. I have been personally trying to reduce the time I spend on those things that do not give me joy. Instead I try to replace them with activities I am passionate about.

The idea of being a 10 on a scale of 0 to 20 doesn’t really work for me. I want to be a 20 on the scale of 20. For my life to be filled with all the things that excite and give me meaning, but without the ones that drag me down. To be a 10 out of 20 seems like you’re leaving unfilled potential on the table.

Many people do not really understand their passions and with what to fill their life.

I was literally just sharing this same concept with a friend today, wrt emotional healing.

Love this - heard it many times before, but it's funny how important the reminders are, especially when everything around you tells you otherwise.

Music4Winds - Just to the point! This is so true. Everyone around me think they know how to do it better and get pissed off at me for saying know to much.

I've been hearing alot about letting go and simplifying. For example, now that I have 4 college degrees nailed to my wall, nobody cares, but me. So I decided to lose then; I covered them up with pictures of family and friends. Consequently, the those frames are now viewed.

I've been in a wheel chair now for nearly 2 yrs. I pretty much have lost everything: income, friends, social life.... Subtract???? you say?

Today, I have trying not to focus on loss, but rather what I have gained.

My older brother passed away in February. He was strong and healthy, but he didn't get a flu shot or a pneumonia vaccine. What he did get was flu, then pneumonia when he ignored that, then ignored the pneumonia until he was hospitalized and died. There's a lesson to be learned there, but that wasn't the only lesson.

We cleaned out his house. It had 50 years of accumulated possessions, not a thing discarded. He literally could not part with ANYTHING, including my long deceased parents'clothing, bed linens, photographs, not my toys from when I was growing up there (I'm 66 now), not any of the 30+ rifles, shotguns, and pistols, hundreds of record albums and VCR tapes, rotted hardcover books, appliances that hadn't worked in years, and an absolute mountain of paper, hundreds of huge boxes full of old checking account statements, etc.

There was absolutely no space for him to live in save a tiny bed and one very small moldy bathroom.

My brother had tens of millions of dollars.

The point is every time he looked at his possessions and asked himself "Do I need this? Will I ever use this again?" And his answer was always, "Maybe."

We all do that. We look at relationships and think, "Will I want to be around that person again?" Maybe - better keep in touch. We look at an old guitar amp and think, "Will I play that on stage again?" Maybe. We look at unused books and records and pictures and clothes and furniture and every other thing we own and we say, "Maybe."

My brother only knew how to add and retain, never how to subtract and simplify his life. It took three large dump truck loads to empty that old, small house. And you know what? Every time I carried something out I asked myself, "Would I use that if I keep it?"

Maybe.

Thanks for yet another simple but very valuable reminder that so many of us are drowning in things and relationships we don't need to be happy.

A very timing post. Live a life of a traveler, who only keeps essential stuff in his bag. Let go of any excess baggage to enjoy the journey.

So true. I made an uncommon move recently, and quit my job with no other opportunity lined up. It's helped me to reset and subtract as well. I'm cooking more, eating less, losing weight, and finding time and opportunities with those I wish to be involved with on projects and general human interaction.

Thanks for sharing!

I totally get the idea of less is more and that by doing less we can focus better etc but I'm not sure you make the case for why being at 10 is inherently better then being at 17. If 0 is doing nothing and 20 is doing everything, it sounds like you're trying to achieve some perfect balance at 10. I wonder if there's a better analogy to use that doesn't involve numbers?

My wife and my motto this Christmas season has been “less is more!”
“”Hear!”
;-)

Hi Derek,

I totally agree with you. The world is going to a direction that you are able to add more and more day by day. There are millions of opportunities for everyone but most of us ( including me before translating your book ) lost in these. I mean: 'I can do this and that and a bit of that let's do everyting at the same time!' and the result is chaos.

Nowadays people don't have time to relax, to put the phone/tablet/laptop away and meditate. As you wrote and as I feel what you should do is something you already know or in other words you can feel it. But you can hear it only when you substract the noises. And that noise is louder than ever before.

Less is less. More is more.

What balance takes is knowing what you need, rather than what you want.

Recently had part of a recording system go down, then sent off for repair. Had to figure out how to make due with less. The end result is the part out for repair will be easier to use for a mobile situation instead of being ingrained as it previously was.

Same holds true for how we live, I never really bought a lot of furniture for the house I had (like you, when in Santa Monica and I imagine still). Which made it a hell of a lot easier when I had to move. Though I did pick up a couple of guitars when you moved...

What timing. Tonight I spent hours bagging up 300 pounds of bulk trash at my childhood home and dragging it to the curb, and it didn’t make a dent in my dad’s house full of hoarded stuff. I am 50 and have spent my life keeping everything for fear of losing my past. Now I am getting a dose of reality. I think the subtracting philosophy holds true both literally & figuratively. Thank you for sharing it.

I agree!! I recently moved abroad and only took 2 bags with me, and now I want to downsize even more. It has let to more focus and clarity. But this was a great way to outline what I was thinking.

Is it really true that more people worldwide die from eating too much than from malnourishment? It seems like it must certainly be true in the US, but I'm surprised that those scales tipped for people as a whole.

Love the overall topic though. A good reminder for us all.

Haha! I like it, Derek! It’s a clever and creative way to state the classic instruction: Simplify.

These are simple but brilliant thoughts. I have been learning about minimalism for two years now and still have a tough time shaking that addition mindset. I love this concept and think it could be used in many ways. Thanks for the inspiration!

Hey Derek,

As always, spot-ON! LESS is definitely MORE!

Cheers!
Al

The Australian stand up comic Jim Jeffries was saying in his most recent special on Netflix, about how he's gone from being a struggling standup most of his career to having achieved success with TV shows and sell out shows in the West End (that's London - the most sought after stage shows in the world, for you US of North Americans) And, after the show is going to cry himself to sleep after he has taken his anti-depressants. He speaks about this as a phenomena in western countries generally. He compares that with people in Africa who live on and in dirt and own nothing and are just tremendously happy.
There are some interesting studies done on lottery winners. Almost all of them have no money left in 5 years, and none of their original friends left. The only ones that have money left are the ones for whom winning the lottery didn't change their life, didn't change their attitude, didn't change their habits - they didn't attribute happines to the prize

All we need is less.

Making things "simple" and putting systems in place to do as much as you possibly can is what I have found has been helping me the most.

I always try to keep the old "K.I.S.S." method at the front of my mind when trying to decide should I do this? or should I just say "No" and let it go?

There is an unrecognized power that comes from saying "No" to people and things.

Derek- that’s an interesting way of looking at possessions. But when it comes to passions goals experiences and I include friends, you can never have enough and should never limit your scale. It can be “off the charts “ and you will find your life and loves will be full and ready for more! RC

Short but to the point. Saying 'NO' is so powerful.

As always thanks for the gems of wisdom.

You are right on the money. If we think of our time decisions and relationships as wealth we would think twice about giving that wealth away to build others dreams and designs. Not that helping other people is wrong. But wasting your wealth or spreading it to thin is bad management.- Bryon

It's well known in advertising that some of the most powerful pieces are those created by negative space. Cheers to less, Derek :)

The most impactful thing about Derek's writing in my opinion is the plain language; brief and well summarized presentation.

This removes any abstraction from the material and makes it so simple to implement.

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE BOOK!

Concise, beautiful, clean message.

What a perfect reminder for this time of year when everything around us shouts at us that addition is the key to happiness. I can't wait for the book :)

I totally agrre with this philosophy Derek and have learned over time not to spread myself too thin.

Pues me has hecho reflexxionar¡¡ Tal vez está aquí la clave del éxito personal, en restar en lugar de sumar¡¡

Muchas gracias

Me encanta

This is a good reminder. I am guilty of taking on more and more and feeling stuck or lost in everything. Just now planned to list out everything that I am focused on. I'll prioritize the list, then take just the top 3 as my new focus. The rest of the list will remind me to cast it aside until priorities 1-3 are achieved...cast aside all the other stuff and move the rock uphill in 2019.

This is excellent! My daughter and I were talking about this exact thing this morning. Even by eliminating clutter in your home (subtracting) opens up the flow of better energy!

Can’t wait to read your next book!

Allie

This made more sense to me than HELL yes, or no. Going from 17 and taking little bits off my task list and commitments will significantly reduce my stress. I'll probably end up to the HELL yea, and no stage. Only focusing on what's important.

Derek, always thought you were brilliant with ideas and new concepts ....now make this book the same .....as it will need more specific ideas and personal emotion in story form to pull the reader in and not let them put it down and then come out the other side knowing we don’t know everything,we are always learning in life and change is always happening and we must embrace it. The idea is very broad right now and hard to comprehend but I know you’ll do it at least thats what i belief now-tomorrow might change!.ALl the best always Karyn Black

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Love it Derek.

I want to be in the middle, at 10. But I’m at 17.

Could this work: I want to be in the middle, at 10, but I’m at 17.

“What can I add to get to 10? I tried adding 8 but that didn’t work. Maybe 3 would help. I should go all-out and add 50.”

I think this works better with: Should I go all-out and add 50?

The least successful people I know run in conflicting directions, (are) drawn to distractions, say yes to almost everything, and are chained to emotional obstacles.

Could this paragraph and the next be more impactful with each idea being a separate sentence (I know as is, it would be improper grammar)? I think, however, by making each thought a separate sentence I think the reader internalizes each point rather than reading it as a simple list. Try reading it both ways. If you don't feel a noticeable difference then keep it as is.

More people die from eating too much than eating too little. Most of us have too much baggage, too many commitments, and too many priorities.

The same might be true of this paragraph too.

You seem to be talking to people who have an abundance.
Some of us have multi billion dollar concepts laid out in minut detail but due to life killing our wives with breast cancer then taking family members via mental illness then getting your back broken in two places and placed on disability we never have the ability/funds to pursue them. So we're left in a state of lack and despair with a government who wants to take what little we do have left.
I agree, less physical junk is good. But to be truly happy you must have the financial ability to maintain stability and hopefully pursue your dreams. Only then can you discern what truly needs to be eliminated.
My take on this is if you have so much that it bothers you, then find someone who's trying who has too little and help them. You'll find you both will feel much happier.

good stuff!

Interesting as I have just been thinking that I need to concentrate on my core range and not diversify too much. Ie Subtract product types.

I love a succinct Sivers gem-drop. Off to slash things from my life like Mulan. Bravo, friend!

Love the ideals here! Life needs to be balanced and if you are always tipping the scale to the right by over committing yourself then you have a negative surplus of time; however, if you say no to everything you have a positive surplus of time and you are free to use that time by whatever means you are seeking to achieve! The balance in this case needs to be 10 on the 20 point scale! I can’t agree more and the underlying concept is very powerful! Thank you for sharing!

Beautiful, profound, and concise!

This is awesome.

I've been working for 5 years on simplifying my wife's and my life. Example: I have over 20 items for sale on eBay right now. We're continuously giving "stuff" away, and embarrassed and amazed that all these stupid items caught our eyes and wallets.

Thank you very much, Derek.

Totally agree with the subtract and narrow focus part. But we need to schedule some time to explore new things for serendipity.

Once in a while, adding new things to the narrow focus will help avoid the blind spots.

Good timing as I was just trying to come up with Christmas ideas for my wife. We have all we need but now i will think about how to give something that can subtract. Mmmm not easy but I like the challenge.

i love it, and i agree with it totally is kind of finding a balance with what really works in our lives, everyone has different perspectives on life, right and wrong, good and bad, and i believe that we are most happy when we can find a balance in between, and being able to contradict ourselves and shifting perspective its like alchemy. 69. its like that kid tekashi69 says in his interviews if i write a 6 on the table, you will see a 9 i wrote a 6, you are right and wrong at the same time, if we can learn to see the bigger picture we would understand that life is a matter of perspective, and at the end it doesnt really matter, so might as well enjoy the journey, adapting through it. going with the wind, with the waves. see you on the other side derek.

Agreed. Ask most sound engineers. When it comes to EQ an instrument or track, it's always encouraged to cut the frequencies that clutter first; as opposed to adding frequencies which can easily fill your recording or house sound with irritating noise

Derek,

Great message. I appreciate you spreading that to more people. I have been applying this myself over the past few years especially.

My one note would be to suggest that you "add" a concrete example that other people can see happening in their own lives.

I could be wrong but I can see many people getting their hands on your book or even this particular article and this concept will be so foreign to them they may have a difficult time grasping it, let alone taking this valuable wisdom and applying it to their own lives.

Just my '2 cents' and you're the expert!

Tim

Love this!! I'm definitely embracing this as I evolve.

Absolutely love it! Sometimes I feel like I am running up and down an escalator and can't stop.

To Tiger's Point: "Health, Wealth, Love and time to enjoy them" -- not sure where I saw that, but that seems to be all we need in life. And music, of course :)

In October, it was the month of "Make the most of what I have" (I theme my months - it's a new thing but I kinda like it). So I made the most of the books I already owned, the clients I already had, the ideas I had already recorded.
And life was fine. Great, even.

Once a year or so, I go offline for four days just to remember what radio silence feels like. It's hard to remember when it's constantly noisy and I always want to know where the baseline is.

In a lot of areas, simplicity is difficult to discover. To state something succinctly means you need to know it in adequate depth to figure out what is important enough to leave in. I think life is the same way, at least for me: I couldn't find my enough until I had seen too much over and over.
It took trial and error to figure out what to leave in. It took discipline to push out the rest. It requires constant vigilance (yeah, I said it) to keep the filters intact. It takes endless curiosity and moments of noticing to see what else is worth subtracting or replacing.

I tried to give up my consulting biz to focus on products that can create a sustainable income.

If you don't let go, how can one take in new stuff?

Perfect timing. You've talked about this many other times, and I've heard it spoken of many times from people in your network. It is still a very hard thing to continuously embody.
Thank you for taking the time to write up and publish this post. For me it was the perfect timing.
Reading this made it crystal clear that I should withdraw my offer on a relatively large project not aligned with my current path, giving up that short term payday, and maintain focus on my larger goal.
Wishing you an outstanding weekend!

I like this idea. I remember while studying protools and audio projection in school we were discussing the concept of subtractive mixing. I had always been of the thought prior to that that creating a wall of sound involved tracking instruments to a brick wall limit and taking up every sonic space available. It was during this Aha moment I realized you could clearly hear the delineation of each nuance and instrument and dynamic when I subtracted some duplicate tracks. To my amazement the track had grown in size instead of shrinking it. In life we have only so many hours to maximize our personal sound scape of life. I am trying to learn this aspect. Less clutter,less distraction and just focusing on main goals one at a time. I will definately let you know when I get a better grip on this one. As always Derek great to hear your thoughts and observations. God bless you and Merry Christmas to you and your family. Warmest regards. Jim Vilandre www.jimvilandre.com

I like this concept of subtracting. As they say sometimes 'less is more', so when you, for example subtract some old obsolete ideas and outdated approaches from your creative process, it gives the needed space for some new and fresh ones to enter. 'Learn to unlearn' in term of breaking the rules if it makes your music to sound better, is another useful method that resonates with subtracting for me. Oftentimes subtracting helps 'keep it simple people', as it prevents overcomplicating and leads to writing simpler songs that have more hooks and adhere to more natural structures. Subtracting yourself from 'I am doing all the work myself' approach moves you away from your comfort zone. It forces you to try working with others and getting input from more people which creates healthy creative environment and can help produce better songs.

We start with nothing. As we grow, we are encouraged to and learn to want to add stuff. Some adding makes sense, such as getting your own place to live and transportation and whatever you need to be self supporting. In order to become self supporting, we take on more commitments. Reading your piece made me realize that in youth I never received any information about when to stop, what is enough, where is the limit, and, therefore your discussion of subtraction resonates. The culture was "more is better." The adding mindset is deeply ingrained. So we blow past enough into the need for subtraction, and it's hard because we have no framework for it. Thanks for helping me to clarify the issue.

That's what I'm doing now, cutting everything and focusing on the most important, this way I should arrive too my destination in the next couple of years.
An idea to add to the book:
You could make a small drawing of a big person trying too loose weight and eating from a big pile of burgers, trying to take away '-5' (walking) from his weight by adding '+20' (eating a mountain of burgers).

Getting lost in the noise was one reason why my first startup failed. I learned a lot about myself through this failure and I hope I can help others to focus on the signals and ignore the noise.

Thanks for the inspiring article, looking forward to read more.

This just struck a heavy chord in me.
I often get into that (bad) habit of MORE rather than taking care of what is already there and that matters.

Thanks Derek.


Any release date? ;)

Great job. I agreed with you about subtracting things we don’t need in our lives or our goals. I remember an old fashioned thought from my granddad: he said: “a dog has 4 legs and he takes only one way”... thanks for sharing your work with us. Good luck. Angel

Only trouble is I needed to embrace this 100% earlier in my long life. As a more recent professional career trainer, the 4,000 professional men and women I worked with on-on-one often had the attention of a gnat AFTER they scored a new job they thought was their dream or final job of their existence.

My points: Begin by aggressively updating private and public K-12 curriculum. Water is wet. Hot burners maim. There are evil people everywhere. Adding has dangers. Subtracting seems counter intuitive to us in the USA.

Barrier? As Seth (Godin) says, attention is a worldwide scarcity. sQs Dec 7 2018

Love it Derek. Wouldn't change a thing.

I see. Thank you so very much!

Derek!! So great to hear from YOU!~ Yes! I agree and I watched a show a bit ago, where the guy in the movie would make a decision and it kept him from his path all of the time...missed opportunity, love ...at the end of the movie, he is going to do the same thing again and almost takes the wrong path and then finally realizes it and turns around to his destiny...Yipee! Finds love too! I too feel like this crossroads appears at strategic times...like now! At a time when it matters to focus on a few great things that may seem abstract and dreamy...or settle into a secure and wasted moment. Decided to take the dreamy road☺ Anywho...! It's really great to hear from yOu Derek!! Impossibility is a great place to start!!
Have a beautiful day Derek!!
Rachel☺!
truly
Rachel ☺!!!

This is so true! So many people especially in business have the mindset of quantity versus quality. Especially in physical therapy/healthcare. I think that's why those who genuinely see the value in helping someone and creating an experience are starting to go towards concierge medicine and therefore seeing less patients. Ive been struggling in business on scaling and I refuse to replace quality with quantity so I have now created an academy where I can certify others so I don't devalue the one on one client level of care. It is very easy to become stuck in that viscous cycle of thinking MORE MORE MORE rather than improving on what is already there. Thank you for this!

Derek, a perfect sentiment. It also has to do with having to much stuff. Get rid of rather than add to. Simplify. Empty space allows us to focus more easily.
Thank you.

Hi Derek,
This is so important, and I'm struggling with it myself. I agree with you, but my next question is definitely HOW?

Also, when you talk about the line from 0 to 20, what are the units? What are we measuring? Busy-ness?

Perfect article especially for the holidays season.

Love the final paragraph. A perfect chapter ender.

Great message!

I've heard that the most successful people in the world say no to 99% of things or something like this. This reinforces that idea, I like the notion that the world pushes us to add although when I read that I also asked, is that true? Certainly media often adds ideas to our plate, our inbox does too. Probably true, but I noticed a few times in this asking that question (also about people dying from eating too much).

Thank you for this counter-intuitive, counter-cultural truth. Needed to hear it.

Reminds me of a story about a famous sculptor. Someone asked Michelangelo how he created his masterpiece David. He said by removing everything that didn't look like David.

quoteinvestigator.com/2014/06/22/chip-away/

This reminds me of when you are trying to make a great sound mix for a movie. A lot of people will say "make that louder" when they could just lower the elements around whatever it is, and it becomes louder in context. Subtractive mixing applied to life! I love it!

A friend once asked me a question. She said: If your house burned down tomorrow, would you be sad, or relieved? Possessions can truly be a chain around our necks, dragging us to the bottom of the ocean. All we really need in this existence is a life buoy; a cause to hold on to.

So true! This year, whenever I feel stuck, I set back, asking myself. How can make it simpler? In business, I am no longer TRYING hard to scale up, always ask how to make the business leaner, not bigger. The process is extremely slow but the reward is beautiful. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. I always be the one who wants to take different projects, now I learnt to do a mini experiment with less than 1 hour / day. test my feelings before adding more

Hello Derek, Thanks for the email. I am all over the place ---much too extended. Your email was right on time for me. I really need to absorb the idea of focus and concentration.
Hope you have a lovely holiday!

Eagerly looking forward to your new book. Thanks Derek !

I love the concept! Am currently reading "time-management for creative people" which has similar ideas. Maybe add something about how most people are actually looking for balance in their lives? I think the 0 to 20 horizontal line example might make more sense to people from that perspective!

Can't wait to read the book :)

Best,
Amanda

This makes a lot of sense..focus helps..

Derek, I really needed to read this. Spot on.

Definitely important and something I struggle with... even just this morning!

I've been trying my hardest to take the approach of -Hell Yes or No-

The FOMO definitely kicks in often, but I'm noticing as my business grows I'm probably missing out on a lot more by trying not to miss some opportunity than when I just head down, focus, and move forward leaving things behind that don't give me that Hell Yeah! feeling right away.

Hi Derek, I really like the suject and totally agree with what you wrote. Would be great if you could dive into this a little bit, since, in my opinion, the ability to say "no" has become essencial to survive in this noisy, FOMO infested world. The freedom that comes from it, having a truly honest inner dialogue about it and letting go, can bring much more joy than simply buying a new car. Thanks for sharing!

Hey Derek, enjoy this post a lot.

Made me think of this book: http://www.abeautifulconstraint.com/

and Seth Godin's writings on sunk costs: seths.blog/2015/02/the-truth-about-sunk-costs/

once you see them, you see them everywhere...

thanks

J

I totally agree that editing is an essential part of life. Too much of everything is being thrown our way every day and through marketing it's more and more challenging for us to focus on what really matters.

Music to my ears, thank you.

Very true. Reminds of "The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything." - Warren Buffett

Takes discipline to unclutter and needs to be done firmly qnd continuously.

Tim Ferris speaks about eliminating.

Maybe 3 questions to ID time wasters or noise?

Good work - keep going.

Less is more in life explained. I like it very much, great reminder and great timing.

THANKS!

Prompted me to respond to my family re my "Christmas List" as follows:

[17:30, 12/10/2018] Anand: I don't want anything, thanks ....
[17:31, 12/10/2018] Anand: You can make a small donation to an animal charity on my behalf 🙂
[17:32, 12/10/2018] Anand: I have way too much stuff that I need to give away or sell ... once I have done that I'll let you know what else I DON'T need 😀

Keep going brother. This is good stuff. I was just reading an excerpt today from David Allen's Getting Things Done. I enjoy your conversational communication style free from the jargon of the business/self improvement world.

This is a really insightful perspective. I've tended to think of the continuation of my time as a series of opportunities that move me closer to or further from my goals (+1s or -1s).

I'm not sure yet if Subtract presents a second layer to that thought or if it changes it.

Can saying No to more things be a +1 toward my goals? Yes, I absolutely think so and I think that's what you allude to.

Thanks for sharing the wisdom!

The first thought after reading this was Dieter Rams’s 10th principle of re-design:

"Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Back to purity, back to simplicity."

You're in good company Sivers.

Great article. I’m subtracting as we speak. Been doing so for a while. Feels right. Been thinking a lot about you because I’m having to do a lot of digital stuff that’s hard for me but has to be done. I think about you forging ahead with all that information in creating CD Baby. Then having to face a bit of a fight with Steve Jobs. So I’m working on plowing through, but needing to increase the discipline to walk away and rest.

I’m making a living with just music and you are partly responsible for a lot of that. You once wanted to find somebody to do what you called “Muck work”. I would’ve loved that, but in a way I know in my gut that I’m right to learn these new things and with that in mind what you said in place already is doing so much of my muck work. That is CD Baby.

All of these 01’s and 00’s that float through the ether are an absolute miracle. But, we need to step up our game because it can also bite us right in the ass. I hope we’re up for it.

Thanks man

Paul

Hearing you speak with Tim Ferris about your Hell Yeah or No really resonated with me. This concept of trying to be at 10 is great. Here is an area that I am thinking about and working on right now. I use Evernote Premium and Day One. I like them and have no issues with them. I was a Wunderlist user and when they were purchased - I was incredibly bummed. What happens if Day One is purchase? or Evernote? The Day One subscription is $24.99 per year, Evernote is $69 per year. Many can afford the $94.98 per year, but what does it cost us in divided focus and time?

I'm a Apple user (MPB, Air, iPad Pro and iPhone) and I am in the process of migrating back to Notes and Reminders. For a journal, iPhoto captures where I was and who I was with. A text file can capture longer thoughts or a Moleskine or Leuchtturm. I was an early adopter/investor in the reMarkable tablet and may use this - the best of both worlds, handwriting and electronic backup/syncing - left and right brains unite!

Two years ago my wife and I went through the exercise of pretending we were moving - what didn't we want to take with us or pay to move. I took photographs of the box of childhood toys I had, gave some to friends who were collectors and moved on. We consolidated our boxes of Easter things from 9 boxes (where did we get all those baskets?) to one. Christmas decorations from 10 boxes down to 5, etc. We made several trips to Good Will and never looked back.

Sorry for the ramble, but this topic really resonated - looking forward to your book. I enjoy your writing style!
Best, Dave

I really appreciate this brief post. The notion of subtraction is generally anathema to social conceptions of success. But for so many of us, particularly in the internet era, endless additions are creating barriers to achievement - whether in our professional, personal, or emotional goals.

Very well said ... simple process that we seem to miss time and time again.

Thank you for your updates I think you are on the right track. All the best with your writings

Thanks for sharing this wise approach to shedding needless baggage and recapturing ones focus.

Hey Derek, long time no speak. I love this. Short and efficient, just like anything a time-waster-avoider like me loves and looks for.
I was wondering... I am a young active professional woman, who has travelled the world, worked in the best luxury brand/group in the world (I already told you my story) and I feel that I have so much more to give to this world, yet I also feel I don't know where nor how to start. I do so many things and yet feel like I don't move any further. I would like to make you a proposal. They say we should surround ourselves with people we look up to, and I know I am probably one in a million to ask you that but I'll try my chances : would like to be my coach?
In exchange I offer you a 33y-o south american lady optique of the professional, social, digital world I live in, through my eyes and experience.
What do you say?
Cheers,
Martha

Yeh!u r so right.Most people want everything and as much of it as they can get. That's what they see in the world all around them from day one. Most people are Sheeple and I don't see that changing very soon cos they see it as a kind of security and success.

Great thoughts for the end of the year. Thank you.

Regarding the arbitrary horizontal line... the options and goal were set by you. The question was "what can I add to get to 10?"... why not add a negative-seven? Or try the 3 first, then negative ten. Or, overshoot and add a negative fifteen only to find you need to add five now to be at the stated goal.
These people you describe... most and least successful at what? How do you measure success? A great river flows steady and strong, it's current and pools, it's possession of water is the essence of its success. Removing water defeats the river but removing all water will create a vast valley where fertile soil may accumulate, trees take root and land based fauna thrive. People may build a town in the protection of the valley. Add now a dam at one end of the valley, equipped with thousands of pieces of hardware and technology, now add millions of gallons of water and you may achieve a successful reservoir... supplying water and power to thousands of acres of far away land that would otherwise remain a wind swept prairie.
Eating too little is not subtracting, it's adding less... or an arguably more appropriate amount.
Makes me think that a simplified key to change, out there or in here, is moderation and observation, whether you add or subtract.

I love it. And I try to do it all the time. First heard about it in Bruce Lee's writing's, & now it's become "fashionable". The limiting beliefs bit is by far the hardest.

Great piece Derek!

My $0.02c,

The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them, and yet, everyone is acting out of his or her own self-interest.

Thanks for sharing. Always look forward to your posts my friend.

Regards,

George

I shared your article with my wife and we really love it.

In the same line of your article, we recently bought the amazing book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: The Japanese Art Kondo, Marie".

We are in a mission to subtract all the excess things that we can. I hope I can keep my books at least ;-)

Many thanks for sharing, Derek.
All the best

Perfect mindset going into 2019! Thank you.

How about adding negative number?

or

black and white
you're more toward black and want tobe middle gray
seem like only way to get there is to add more white

?

My good friend Connor Garelick, who is like a brother, sent me this. I’ve been reading a lot of Wayne Dyer books lately and this is so aligned with his spiritual teachings. I love this. Thank you for writing this and sharing this. Derek, live this day knowing your writing changes lives and helps people with their daily lives. It just helped me with mine. God Bless & Namaste

Well said.
I just lost a recent but very dear friend. I think he was able to show so much love to all around him because he kept his life very simple.
Be well, stay safe and have fun.

Derek,

I like it. As I repeatedly tell our kids, they are living a better life than 99.99% of all humans who have ever lived. Don't get caught up in the adding/more quest. Declutter/simplify to best make use of and enjoy your current advantages. The only "more" I want is more knowledge. But time is fixed. So I've long been doing what you suggest - I subtract, and create available time to continue to learn.

Best/Dave

Nice and well said.....Accumulating and keeping things I don't need have led me to feel overwhelmed. I want less!!!!! I am grateful for being able to walk, to move, to speak, to feel, I am grateful for all the things I have been taking for granted

Thanks for sharing

Derek,

Interesting topic -

Most relevant for me at this time is forced reduction... change of life. When you need to relocate, downsize your house, lose your income - all of those are artificial selection of a sort. Though you don't want to get rid of things, you're focused to decide on what is important to you. Is it worth the mortgage, new car and having things - all that you can't afford... anymore. Another aspect of life change and sometimes it comes with the above, is a change of life - illness, death, loss, depression or other personal change. In this case, it may lead you to want to downsize, simply and change your life to focus on what is truly important to you. There's definitely an American culture of having and wanting and spending lots of time working to make money to have things. Capitalism running out of control - affects most people living in this country. I wouldn't say it's limited to this county though... and the final consideration is technology itself. People live lonelier lives - spending all their time on their phones, tables and social media and yet are more and more lost. Many of those compensate by adding more things in their lives. Where theres lots of reasons to add and some to subtract. On the topic of being successful - I.E. an entrepreneur... having been one for 18 months now... find that it takes all your time to make one thing work. Focusing on doing one thing well and all that goes with it, greatly reduces your world and vision of what is needed to make a life and business. I would also the same goes for any kind of artist that succeeds - they need to avoid distractions, not have clutter and too many things in their lives to stay focused and commit themselves to their work. So, how do we go about thought-full subtraction and determine how and why it is good for us. I think it is an evolution for those that dare go down that road and grow and develop as an individual in their life, with their family and their passion and business. If you have 1 and then add 1, you get 2. Maybe the trick is not to stagnate. When you do - then you continue to add 1 to what you already have, but never subtract 1 because it's comfortable. Change requires change... and allowing things to come in and leave our lives and this applies to everything.
Hope some of this makes sense...

alan

This is such a great post. I will share it with my circle. Thanks!

I totally agree!!! Works for me!!! The most beautiful works of art begins
with a blank canvas. Mindlessness is living in the present with yesterday's baggage. Great article!

A very cool and applicable concept that should be second-nature! Thanks for sharing, man...

Very powerful advice. Not the usual pep talk to acquire from the outside. Well put

Love your writing Derek!

I'm definitely among the ones that say yes to too many things because I get easily excited and get myself in too many projects. This is helpful thanks! I have one question though: I believe that we always need to give ourself a way to get exposed to new things (then for each one the "Hell Yeah or No" rule applies). If we focus only on subtracting we end up lowering the number of the cards we hold in our hand, rather than picking new cards from the deck of things we didn't get exposed to yet. What is the best way to subtract but also keep picking new cards from the deck?

My son was away for a few months and when he came back he was reading all the time. Before then it was a chore just trying to get him to do it. I asked him what happened, and he responded: "There were no toys in our apartment all I could do was read." Adding by subtracting.

Constraints, parameters, deadlines , any framework helps me finish a project be it art of client work. They help me focus. But I do find sometimes it’s ok to get all chaotic and let everything in. Mess can be beautiful. Then I can pare away and focus. It’s like boredom. It’s good to be bored. It’s ok to be attracted by all the shiny things and touch each one along the way.
I think I’m reacting more to the comments than your text. Cheers

So many great "takeaways" here and thank you for this post! Looking forward to seeing how it is featured and combined in the context of your book! Keep up the great work! As 2018 winds down, I look back on all the "adds" this year and it's an exhausting reflection - I will work to subtract more in 2019! Thank you!

That was recently brought to my attention lately too, Derek. Most companies add to the workload without off loading outdated or inefficient ways of doing things.

It makes perfect sense :) Saying no is an art and it really helps. With the same logic, making 'Not to do list' is more useful than making a 'To do list'

Brilliant! Balance!

Thanks for the message! Also Andi, my friend. This message came in the right time for me. I've been trying to substract things of my life. In these last days, for example, I've been trying to leave, at least for a while, the social networks and I can observe another side of myself. It's like my time has multiplied. And I've been thinking about my own life and all those things I have to work in it, instead of the others life.
It's good to talk to myself, I was missing it!

Just ran across this and thought of you.

“To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”

― Lao Tzu
Nice one! Thanks for posting that. — Derek

Hi Derek,

I like it. It makes me think that all of this pressure to add, add, add, comes from competition and comparison with others. The people that are willing to look at subtraction as a viable option seem more internally driven, with more knowledge of what's truly important to them and what really makes them happy. Hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing,
Justin

Embrace this to reduce holiday shopping anxieties.

Another thing we can hold onto is identity. I have friend who is part of an international organization that host major events in different countries every four years. This has gone on for 40 years ( 10 events) But the next scheduled one had to be cancelled due to a variety of reasons including the politics between this host nation and the US. So my friend had to let got of his ties to this (success) and his identity linked to it. He said it reminded him of the feeling he had just before he got a divorce (his action). He was so worried about what others would think and he stalled. Once he owned the action needed in both cases he felt a relief and a freedom.

Couldn't agree more. Keep it simple. :)

Derek-a calming thought amidst the polar swirl of parenting and personal(ing!)..thank for your clarity and brevity. Nothing more needs saying here!
-john, nyc

Hi Derek !

Great observation. But I think it goes further than substracting, I rather like the concept of life editing. Judiciously cutting out stuff that does not contribute towards your values and goals.
The problem nowadays is that there is too much "stuff" and it is too easily obtainable. Where before (say a decade or 2 ago) we had to think hard about buying the next gadget, magazine, car, telephone call, experience, hobby, holiday, airplane ride,... because everything was pretty expensive relative to our income, nowadays the forces abundance (and easy credit) have made everything more (too much ?) accessible for most people, which overall is good of course. A side effect though is that if you don't have a new filter on your acquiring of stuff besides affordability, you quickly get deluged by too much "stuff" be it digital, activities, or even people...
So like a good editor you need to ruthlesssly cut everything that doesn't contribute to what you want. Of course the next problem is knowing what you actually want. And another problem is that at a deep level we are maybe biologically default programmed to go with a "more is better" approach to life which is difficult to resist if you don't have a clear idea of what you want in life.

Love the post Derek, would recommend adding examples of your subtractions.

One recent subtraction I made is turning off badge icons and notifications on my phone. Looking at my phone is more calming without badges on apps, and I have less interruptions as a result of turning off notifications.

"The learned man aims for more, but the wise man decreases and decreases again."
Not sure the original source, I got it from Choose Yourself by James Altucher, chapter 1.

Essentialism is one of the best books I've read and covers this topic extensively. You may want to read it. It has a lot of good quotes on subtraction.

while I agree on the idea of focus/minimalism, the argument you make is very weak and is an example of "begging the question" fallacy / circular reasoning

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

>>>
Imagine a horizontal line, with 0 on the left and 20 on the right. I want to be in the middle, at 10. But I’m at 17.

“What can I add to get to 10? I tried adding 8 but that didn’t work. Maybe 3 would help. I should go all-out and add 50.”
>>>

you need to somehow prove that going to 10 is the right thing to do instead of going to 20, 50 or 100, in which case adding 50 will be the right thing to do

Great! Less is more

I agree with the idea of subtracting, though the number line example doesn't resonate with me.

After thinking about it, I have the visual of a cardboard box that I carry. Only so much stuff can fit in the box until there's no more room and/or I can't lift it any more. If I want more in my life (box), I have to subtract. Or, I could work to become stronger to be able to carry more (maybe, maybe not the right choice).

I do very much like Marie Kondo's philosophy of keep what sparks joy (hell, yeah!) in you, and tidying (subtracting) is not about what you choose to let go, it's about what you choose to keep - that shift to focus on what stays vs. what goes has made subtracting events/things/people much easier for me.

Totally agree. In Chinese we said "大道至简“。

Wow!
Amazing article!
Concept is not new to me, but stated so clean and accurate it actually distills and refines the concept itself!

Long story short - have been of the “Hell yeah or no” mindset for years. One of the results was when my wife of almost 45 years got the cancer that would kill her in 4 years, I got to be the guy she needed for every step, from the doc visits through chemo, brain surgery, whole brain radiation (2x), and hospice where we used only a hospice nurse, and I did all the care (including administering ALL meds). She peacefully died in my arms. We really got to live out our love through the very end, in large part because having previously subtracted lots of the stuff that really doesn’t matter. I was left with no regrets regarding what I coulda ,shoulda. Only writing cause this might help someone. Thanks.😎

Hi Derek,

Thank you.

It resonates well with the book "ONE thing" that I've just read recently. What a coincidence!

I the book, the author mentioned sth like "priority" in the original meaning meant the most important thing. But now it's become sth like "one of the important things"

I once heard Tim Ferris say that he had moved on from a consumption phase and was in a production phase. Being in my late 20's and very much in a consumption phase (I was listening to lots of Tim Ferris) I filed that idea away.
As a voracious consumer of podcasts, I'm still in a consumption phase, but I can see the first glimmers of a future where I consume much less and produce more.
Your thoughts on Subtraction light the path from one to the other.

Thanks.

I have done an excericise that helps in this regard. I don't know where it came from, but I think it is common. Draw a circle in the middle of a paper with your name. All around, with room to spare, put all the relationships and activities you are involved with, including work, church, clubs, etc. Draw a coloured line to each, from "you", the thickness of which indicates how much energy you put into each relationship. Then draw a different coloured line from these elements indicating the amount of energy you receive from each of these relationships. The more honest you are the more you will see truth.

Fascinated with your article. It so arrived in my mail box the day i so needed it
Thank You!

Hits the target with me, Derek - beautiful. I built a successful athletic career based on the idea of "Less is More" (nature of navigating whitewater river rapids for time and speed.) But, it wasn't until many painful years of adding that subtraction became a way of life - slowly (VERY slowly) to improve my health, then to quit my job, and eventually a family adventure where we moved and now live in a new country. Wishing you a wonderful year of less.

The essence of “subtracting” is “Danshari”

Enlightening. Reminds me of a piece by Burgs:

Reflect upon this simple statement.
He who is of few needs and easy to serve swiftly finds
peace, and is already close to happiness.
The more complicated we make ourselves,
the more complicated is our idea of ourselves.
The more we perceive our needs to be,
the more of a burden we will be to this planet,
while we spend our time here pursuing those needs.

The truth is: the only real needs are food, shelter and
companionship.
Everything else is a bonus.
One who is content with food, shelter and companionship
treads lightly on this world, and swiftly gets to the point
where there is something to give back.
But one who is not content with that, and who feels they
need an extraordinarily elaborate array of things in their
life to feel their life is meaningful makes an awful ruckus in
their time upon this planet.

BRILLIANT!!!

I was moved by the story at #431 by Terry D. His brother was a hoarder. And a millionaire.

Today at a writer's cafe two of us had lots in our purses because "we might need it." This came up after someone recited the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared.

I think now the motto was for kids who just don't think ahead. But we do. And we adults have resources, such as "enough money." So maybe a better mantra is not "I might need it" but "mostly need it?" (over half sure) or "mostly not need it?" (less than half sure) My parents even kept old phone books, as part of their poverty mentality.

I believe there is a cost-benefit equation where stuff "less than half" costs more than it is worth, it terms of space and mental health.

...If my stuff keeps me from having people over to visit, so that I CAN'T get a second opinion on stuff, then I have surely, beyond question, too much.

Come to think of it, if I am too smart or too independent to need a second opinion, then yes, I already have too much.

It is an art to create a balance - not to add to much, but also not to distract too much.
Sometimes I distract too much in an effort to gain clarity. Minimalism can quickly become a neurosis, as is hoarding of wealth and stuff.
There needs to be space for surprise and adventure, as well as structured narrow focused.

The universe is expanding but there is also an expanding inner world in each one of us.. distract from the outer and discover the inner.

Nice article. Short and to the point.

I couldn't agree more Derek! Subtracting is a way of life for me! You can't effectively add anything into your life without subtracting from it! If you want to make a big change like working on your own, you need to create space to grow!

Derek! Ha! Love this! I'm so into this idea lately. Is it because I've been a busy person/musician for all my life, and now I'm 65 and I'm backing off? It is interesting....I'm doing similar things, some growth...but I'm not so busy. I agree with you, too much is distracting. AND you don't necessarily see it when you're in it.

Hi Derek and everyone,
I thought of putting this on your facebook essay, but I think here is better:

How about that distraction of social media? As something to subtract?

Today I was just on an old social media essay on my blog, and I found a link I made to someone's essay that had excited me years ago. A man, Steve Pavlina, improved his life by subtracting social media... partly because his new discipline spread to other parts of his life.

www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2015/07/one-year-without-social-media/

Downsizing from a house to a condo was one of the hardest (after marriage and children) yet most centering endeavors that my wife and I attempted after 19 years of Adding. I highly recommend it. Took care of the physical baggage and have been spending a good part of the past year working on the mental baggage. Thanks for the reality check.

It's never elitist to love your home, and cheer when the home team is still on fire.

Wherever I go, I judge the vegetation as lush or dry in comparison to my old home—even though I have a new home now, complete with pictures of my new landscape.

In my home city more computer users die from diabetes than from starvation

Thank you for this post. I've just started getting rid of my stuff at home which also contained a lot of materials/tools of my home business I had given up.
For month I couldn't progress because these materials/tools are of value and could be sold. But the sheer idea of painstakingly taking pictures of everything, pricing it, making a list and sending it to my local competitors - got me stuck. The time required was too much of value.

But then I got so fed up with all the stuff still lying around, that I just put it in my front yard for free. The joy it gives me to see how my things "magically" disappear, is really priceless.

So I trade time for joy and gain a substraced (physical) space...

Best advice I every read was this simple sentence. "IF THE ANSWER ISN'T HELL YES, THEN IT'S NO". Subtracting "let me think about that" was the best gift I've ever given myself.

I agree. Subtracting allows you to internalize more of whatever you’re focused on.

Nice extract - thank you! It reminded me of Michaelangelo, chipping away the marble to reveal the beautiful piece of art that's always been there. I find it helpful to ask myself what expands me and what contracts me; it makes it easier, then, to get rid of what contracts me.

Excellently stated! Wow. What a light bulb moment for me. Thanks Derek.

Thank you for this. It's exactly what I needed to hear in this pivotal point in my life. Great as always, Derek!

i love the graphic example, thank you

Agreed.

I’ve spiraled out of control and burnt out over the past few months. I just had that moment where you step outside and breathe cool refreshing air for the first time. Subtraction has been a literal life saver for me. Thank you for your thoughts!

Respectfully,

Nicholas

Great post!

Thank you Derek. You make a difference in my life. I know this post is from 2018 but, that's timing !! I needed this today !!! Exactly today.

So true. I am living in my "dream house" which is not exactly a nightmare but more of a bad dream since I don't enjoy it the way I thought I would, it costs me more than I thought it would, etc. Some people would think I'm crazy because it's on a canal with access to the Gulf of Mexico, brand new in 2017 and has a very low interest rate. Ha! Just goes to show you, things don't bring happiness. I'm enjoying your ideas very much and heartily agree. I will be selling this house and will focus on buying something smaller, cozier and exactly what I want. Also thinking about what I want to do next in this life, what else can I subtract... All this was already on my mind but "stumbling" onto your website just helps emphasize it to me even more. I loved your book too "Anything You Want". I bought a franchise in 2017 to help my boyfriend, instead of wanting it for myself. Can you guess what happened? Life does give us lessons if we pay attention. Kudos to you for listening and then sharing what you heard.

A wave of calm washed over me as I finished reading this.
I have been overwhelmed, and trying to add things to my life to un-whelm.
whelm: engulf, submerge, or bury (someone or something)
The boat just sinks further as you add more weight.

YES. Hell yes! Thank you for this!

Great thought Derek. Thank you.

Saying 'no' is a way of subtracting plus is liberating and character building.

Was it you who said middle age is an age ranging from 45-60 and that essentially it's when you realize the weight of all that you have accumulated in life?

Well i'm at that stage at 49 and just want to reduce reduce reduce!
I didn't say that, no — Derek

True indeed Derek. Subtract! I live in a country with no constant electricity. Successive governments come into power, pursue myriad agendas (7-Point Agenda, 10-Point Agenda, 20-Point Agenda), waste eight years, and crash out. If only they could pursue just 1 Agenda - Electricity, the story would have been different. Imagine a country of 200 million people with no electricity and now nicknamed the poverty capital of the world.

You are so right Derek. Its an illusion that we possess things, the fact is that the more you have, the more you are possessed by these things. Letting them go can be a vastly liberating experience. It makes you focus on the real self that you are.

Good, Derek. Thank you. :)
B

Define successful
Sushill

Good reminder. I needed this right now. Funny how things you need pop up if you pay attention. Thanks

"What can I do to get better sleep?" The question is usually what should I not do, or do less of.

How about stop playing with your phone before bed? Not exercising close to bed time?

"What can I do to attract more women? "

Instead of doing more things, consider doing less and being remarkable in them.

"What app should I download to increase my productivity?"

If you're reading this you probably guessed that the answer is LESS APPS.

Don't search "Less apps" on the App Store. Just put your phone away, in airplane mode, in another room.

It gets deeper still.

How do I change my mindset?

Find and remove the assumptions and beliefs that make you think and act like that.

This makes me wonder. It sounds like most of the times the answer lies in subtracting rather than adding. When is the answer adding?
Great examples. Thanks Julio! — Derek

How do you define 'successful people?' If it is earning power and business achievements, I can imagine this narrow 'no-focused' approach to be useful. What about people who want to experience life spontaneously and emergently?

It took me a while to understanding this concept. It's one of those ideas that are easy to understand with the mind (theoretically) but that you only get when you go through it emotionally (after you've added too much.) Thanks Derek, beautiful post

'True freedom is the absence of choice'.

I picked that one up from a Mongolian when crossing the Gobi on a paramotor, alone and with not even a spare pair of knickers to my name.

At first thought, what makes you a 17 as opposed to a 3 on the other side of the line?

How about adding to remove? I could do with someone taking care of all the house chores for me. So, I guess I need to add more income to be able to do this.

But, yes, I agree with the idea.

How would you define the success of these so called successful people?
That's up to them, not me. — Derek

Hi,
I just discovered this message from Tim Ferris’ 5 bullet Friday email and it is so on point. I have become comfortable saying no to things that I really don’t want to do and find that I’m much less stressed.

Have a great day!

This is great. I changed my life when I listened to you on The Tim Ferriss Show and found how and why to say NO and to seek the Hell Yeah!

Thank you for what you do and all that you chose not to do.

Cheers!

Very good

Very nice ans thoughtful little reminder :)

I play a baritone ukulele which is like a small guitar. Two things occur to many of us amateur musicians. 1) We buy too many instruments: guitar, tenor guitar, dulcimer strumstick, Indian flute, tin whistle, djembe drum. Its just too much except for the most exceptional talents. 2) We tend to collect many songs instead of memorizing 10 cherished ones. We just move along to the next.

Do I want more in quantity or more in quality? I have found that adding too many relationships dilutes quality. Fewer relationships can ADD more connection, authenticity, itimacy.

Love this perspective - a true paradigm shift!
Thank you for taking something that I already know to be true and making it undeniable!
Less truly is more!

Looking forward to learning and growing from your insights. Thanks for what you do.

I Loved this article! Been busy subtracting various so called "friends" from my life lately and reading this today was the further confirmation I needed. ...So I just wanted to say Thanks and Cheers!

Totally in agreement.

Love this. and I need to apply this subtraction theory to my life.

Powerful as always. I’m about to subtract a lot as I venture to Portugal for the winter.

Even trees shed limbs in order to grow higher

U say-More people die from eating too much than from eating too little. this seems too broad and easy, lazy even for your argument. I would rather hv heard n learned more about how n why to do the maybe counterintuitive work of subtracting.
Cheers!
If you want to hear more, then I’ve done my job. ☺ — Derek

Just sat down with laptop to try to find answers to what I perceive to be life problems that I am just not able to solve. Thinking I am in a major depression, yesterday was Thanksgiving and my 3 sons were with their father and his family for the 8th year in a row following our separation and divorce. My family is mostly deceased, so my children and the family I raised were/are the world to me. My boys 24,21 and 18 have taken the path of following their father and the money. All my years of being here for them and the family, making them the focus, sharing all my thoughts and reasoning has led me to this place. I know it is for a reason, I don't particularly like it right now...but I am always looking for the solution. I have notice how my life has become unfocused, overwhelmed, unable to make decisions because there are too many choices so I shut down, short fused....all because there is unrest between my boys and I. In response to this I have created more projects for myself, added more books to read, my list of things I want to do gets longer and longer. Everyday I look for more "things" to do, to learn about, to become better at...there are not enough hours and there is not enough of me. I am unconsciously trying to distract myself from the constant pain I feel without my children. Your article on subtracting as a solution was put in my path/lap be the universe. Instead of more to fill the void, I need less. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Thank you.

A very nice post. I am adding a related quote from my database of nots: ""It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." -Bruce Lee"

More people die from eating too much than from eating too little. True?
2016 World Health Organization report, quoted by Yuval Noah Harari. — Derek

Sage advice Derek!

Aligns perfectly with the principles so beautifully outlined in one of my favorite books in recent memory... NY Times Bestseller by Greg McKeown:

ESSENTIALISM - The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
gregmckeown.com/book

Bottom line: LESS = MORE!!!

Well I’m finally starting to take in this ‘mind-set!’ It’s about time . Being 71 and still have mimes to go ...... but with LESS baggage 🧳. I’m shooting for a 10!

This mirrors my current thinking. I want everything. Name it I want it. Want to read and know everything. Aware now of my need for focus. Cut what will not further my life desires to pray more.

Derek, thank you for sharing. I read this at the perfect time.

There is no creativity without boundaries. - Lorne Michaels

Nice and clear. And somehow reminds me N. N. Taleb in short.

Such a powerful insight! Thank you for reminding me of this.

Subtractive synthesis for the win.
☺ — Derek

My marketing professor said, "Creativity loves constraints." Thanks for such a short and sweet article, hitting upon the exact principle it teaches.

-Tim Ferriss Listener

How fortunate for me to stumble upon this bus Tim Ferriss newsletter. The site "Subtract" intrigued me. It is comforting to receive affirmation that I am on the right track. Lately I have been 'subtracting'a lot 😁.

When I really think about it, this should be obvious, yet it takes focus and intention to achieve. This is a life goal, to continually find and cut the fat from my life. Thanks for reminding me.

right there with you derek, i've bounced around facets of this concept for years. your number line analogy is the perfect tool for extrapolating it. www.instagram.com/p/B5oH5JOnMbY/

What if you have a seven?
OR if you think you have a 17 but it is more like a 3?
Then substract is not the answer.

I like more simplifying and optimizing. More or less is not intrinsically bad.

this insight is brilliant! although, for me, easier said than done. subtracting is something I definitely need to practice. thank you for sharing.

Why did you pass 10 to begin with?

So simple yet so profound !!

This was a very powerful read for me. I lost my wife last year to cancer and a lot of the people I considered to be friends really provided to be frauds. I struggled with being alone, so I tried my best to force those relationships to remain. Nevertheless, I gained the courage to subtract those person from my life several months ago and my life has taken a dramatic turn for the best! Thank you for this article!

I agree

Substract 7 from 17 and you will be in the middle :)

Subtraction happens naturally as I age and friends and relatives die and my abilities lessen.
I'm very happy that I experienced as much of life as possible and did not limit myself in any area.

Make sense

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of "The Little Prince", said that perfection is not when there is nothing more to add, but whne there is nothing more to take away.

This is beautiful. Thank you for the reminder that we live in a society were addition is always advertised, and subtraction is rarely vouched for. To a simpler life!

Well said- we will keep adding on naturally

What else is there to add? Couldn´t agree more. The more you own, the more owns you!

My third time reading this article, thanks for sharing.

Great insights. Thanks for sharing.

Everything was to the point; but I have a serous conviction that more people die of starvation than excess of food.

Does moving stuff from my apartment to a storage unit count as subtraction? 😁

"Perfection is not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away."

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of The Little Prince)

Love this! The great Rick Rubin used o list his credit: Reduced by Rick Rubin

I agree with adding certain limitations to allow productivity prosper but I can't help but remember the fact that isn't the subjective analysis of an individual also necessary. Like in a lower age, it is better to say yes at most things to increase our luck circle i.e. to find what we endeavour for. Only by being specialized at something, we must go on on saying no. But there is always uncertainty so isn't it better to set core beliefs and accept a variety of things in those domains. Also, removing from that circle is crucial as you stated

As a meditation practitioner and teacher, this is exactly what practice is all about. Thanks for making it simple to explain!

This is so true it is scary. Thank you

So true about the world (especially a business environment like a corporate ladder) adding more to benefit them. I have had enough, I am subtracting them! Unemployed, unplugged and loving it!

Excellent. Well Said. Less is More Always. Expect Less from Outside and Give More to this world

Following your advice to only say "hell yeeess !" to the only major things that matter in our lives, well; I'd like to complement this wonderful article with some words:

Less is more.

Simply amazing those thoughts! It makes so much sense for me!

A starship...a starship...huh. I float on an ocean beneath a starry sky whilst Kirk is in a can light years from everything. He basks in starship technology and struggles to stay human. I go for a swim in swirling blue luminescent waters that engulf me, reminding me that I am. Kirk must feed the insatiable dilithium thirst of the warp drive, while I raise my sails into the invisible planetary force of the trades. Enterprise folds time and skips across the universe to get to where it must go, while Liberty runs with the pelagics, already home.

Captains log s/v Libery

I love the idea of subtraction and that we are way to much focused on adding.

The line analogy from this article however, is the worst example to illustrate subtracting i‘ve ever seen.

Accumulations never truly satisfy for very long. I simply leaves one with a garage full of crap, or a mind full of unsatisfying thoughts. Empty the cup. Then knock a hole in the bottom of it so everything simply and naturally flows through. Happiness is deeply feeling and being the freedom-flow, and not get bogged down in the ever-present, addictive shiny-item sludge. And clean the drain out once in awhile to keep the flow going out strong. 😎

I find subtracting simultaneously hard and freeing. Love "No amount of adding will get me where I want to be".

Yeah, I'm looking at my bloated home recording studio. Figuring out how to do the same with a mini studio is this years goal...(moving onto my converted bus!)

Brilliant!

There is a powerful zen quality in subtraction. A place where want and need are not in conflict.

Derek,
I remember when my daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The day before, I kept thinking about what I didn't have--money, a house, a great job, and an awesome car. My mind kept repeating the phrase: "I wish I had this ___." Just fill in the blank. The day after I was told a golf ball size tumor had grown out of my daughter's brainstem; all I wanted was another day with my baby. I wanted time with her. My wife and I were told our daughter wouldn't see her first birthday (in January), so I only wanted her to see her first Christmas. And after she saw her first Christmas, I wanted to throw her a birthday party. Twenty-nine years later, I recognized I have lived this idea of subtraction. My daughter lived. I subtracted what was unnecessary to keep what I loved alive. And it's led to a great life. Money didn't come. I still drive a crappy car. I still haven't bought a house. I sacrificed the time I would have given to a career to ensure my daughter would live.
This is a great post. I am grateful I found it.
I hope you continue to live a blessed life.
Michael

I ADDED myself to your mail list😄

No. A complete sentence that needs no elaboration.

Thanks so much for this post! This reminds me of an article I read about Zero Based Thinking which asked this question “Knowing what I know now, is there anything that I am doing today that I would not start again if I had to do it over? this really provided some motivation for me to subtract and it’s time for another round.

For me, life is a continuous cycle of contraction and expansion. While expansion can be thought of as adding, we cannot keep a trend of continual expansion successfully, without first contracting to allow the energy to accumulate in a vacuum as nature abhors a vacuum.

Reminds me of Thoreau’s Walden. Simplify, Simplify.

I share your "Hell yeah or No" philosophy all the time and have adopted it into my life as well. Subtraction is definitely a way to add more to what you value in life.

Less is more. The widow woman in the Bible gave all that she had even though it was the least of everyone else’s offering. Her offering was indeed a sacrifice.

Hi Derek. Worldwide 25k people die every day due to starvation, that's according to the WHO. I've no doubt that in the land of fat people (the USA) the opposite is true but it's an important distinction I think. Also the most negative people I know say no to everything, you really don't need to say no to everything to be successful, another myth. That's two inaccuracies in a very short article.....just saying.

Love the message well written well thought out and so true. It's always amazing to me when I stop and look around me and finally realize it's all sitting there waiting to be procured and nurtured.....it's just engaging and recognizing.

Well said. One thought, too many children die for lack of something to eat.

I’ve been thinking over this “addition by subtraction” idea for a few weeks now. It started with Tim Ferriss’s Prior Year Review, then saw it again when I was reading your books (that I got for Christmas 😊), and since then it’s been on my mind each week as I reflect on the past week, when I journal, and many other times.

But how do I know what it is I should subtract? What if I subtract the wrong thing(s)? Since the start of he pandemic I’ve picked up some great habits that have bettered my life, journaling, meditating, reading, walking, cold showers, exercising, but it’s starting to feel like I have so much to do in the morning that I’m rushing to get it all done before I start working.

So ho does one go about figuring out what to subtract?

Well put. I have also noticed that some narrowly focused people seem to have a certain type of contentment. That said, I don't want to be those people even though I suffer from exactly what you listed perhaps as a result.
I am glad you noted this phenomenon, although your scale example isn't resonating with me.

Beautifully put!

I try to remember that every time I buy something there is one more thing to take care of (the care and feeding of "stuff").

Every time I say "yes" to something I am saying "no" to many other things, probably things I would enjoy doing more.

Again, love the idea of subtraction.

Thank you,
Erika

100% agree. No doubt you’ve heard Tobi Lütke speak on this topic? He has a bit to say about subtraction too. Also, Greg McKeown speaks to this well with all of his work too.

Thanks for a fresh, realistic view of making life much smoother and more rewarding. The concept is so simple and yet requires a lot of self-discipline .

Perfect timing for me to read this. Thanks

Much needed reminder, and at the right time. Thank you!

TRUTH!

“Subtract \ The Unttapped Science of Less” by Leidy Klotz is a very good book on this topic.

Mr Sivers,

While I am coming to your post just now through 5 Bullet Friday, I thank you for the thought candy. Whilst I am deeply middle age and looking to commence on an adventure and go back to work and start a new endeavor I will need to keep you anecdote in mind so that I might have more time and energy to focus on goals. I continually offer up my help to others and while I am happy to do so, I do find it takes up a lot of time and energy. I also have much too much objects in my environment and much clearing will free up both time and lighten my mood by having spaces that encourage thought rather than concerns for projects left half completed or yet to be started.

Thank you,

John

I wrote a book in 2018 on this very topic, so I’m with you 100%.

Hi,
I enjoy yours audiobooks a lot. But ;) there is a request from a little bit autistic people.
Each chapter starts with real high tone and “noise” - from mine autistic/noise sensitive point of view.
I know it can be seeing as “wired” but it brings a lot of discomfort.
So maybe you could consider “autistic” version of audiobook, without drums…
Best regards
JB

Wow how life changing. Looking at what I can subtract is a great way to focus!!
I'm going to try subtracting for a while so I can be more peaceful!!

This struck me so profoundly as my school year just ended (teaching high school English for 26 years) and I made my "summer list" so as not to waste my long days at home.

It reminded me of something I would read in The Daily Stoic. Seriously, I was was struck so profoundly by this.

Declutter is the new black

Auf das sich besinnen und in sich hören was man wirklich braucht, wird in der heutigen schnelllebigen Zeit total vergessen. Tut man es wird man als -Sonderling betrachtet. Meine Tochter lehrt mich zu entschleunigen, sie macht alles mit Ruhe und Muse. Das will gelernt sein

I am on this very journey right now. This article spoke to me and I concur because I am currently living. this truth and my life has never been filled with more joy!

삶을향상시키기위해무엇을더하고?무엇을빼기해야하는가?

This subtraction perspective is only limited in the view of being able to display being a servant leader and managing the challenge of making ourselves available. When you are leading change management projects this philosophy counters a key pillar of the best practice methodology. I believe depending on your long-term goals and your team's mature levels the impact of subtracting could be detrimental in specific aspects.