SUBTRACT FIRST
The world shouts more.
More apps. More meetings. More features. More gear.
But creation whispers a different command: less.
The hardest button to press is Delete.
Why? Because adding feels like progress. It’s visible. It’s loud. It earns high‑fives.
Subtraction feels invisible. Quiet. A little scary.
Yet the secret of momentum is not what you pick up—it’s what you put down.
Composition for life (and photos)
Great photos aren’t about stuffing the frame. They’re about removing whatever steals attention from the subject.
Same with days. Your calendar is a composition. Your to‑do list is a frame.
Every extra obligation is background clutter. Crop it.
Ask: What is my subject today?
Then scan the edges of your day and subtract everything that doesn’t support that subject.
One tool, one truth
Gear doesn’t make you bold. Constraints do.
One camera, one lens. One notebook, one pen. One project, one priority.
Fewer choices = faster decisions = stronger style.
When you limit options, your intention gets loud. Your voice gets crisp. Your results get brave.
The attention diet
Your focus is your life’s shutter speed. Guard it.
Uninstall the app that hijacks your thumbs.
Mute the notifications that farm your cortisol.
Airplane mode isn’t retreat; it’s runway.
You are allowed to protect your attention like it’s gold—because it is.
Make room for power
Clutter is not neutral; it has drag.
Every unused feature, every “maybe,” every dusty commitment adds friction.
We think holding on keeps options open. In reality, it keeps potential closed.
When you let go, you don’t lose identity—you gain capacity.
Delete with delight
Subtraction is not punishment. It’s celebration.
- Delete a paragraph and the idea pops.
- Delete 200 lines of code and the product breathes.
- Donate the extra jacket and your closet exhales.
- Say “no” once and your “yes” gets 10x louder.
Make a game of it: one subtraction a day.
The Daily Minus.
Seven days later you’re lighter. Seven weeks later you’re flying.
How to subtract (fast!)
- Name the subject. If everything is the subject, nothing is.
- Scan the edges. In images and in life, clutter hides at the borders.
- Cut the obvious. If you hesitated, you already knew.
- Test the feeling. Lighter? Keep going. Heavier? Undo.
- Lock it in. Replace the deleted thing with nothing. Protect the empty space.
Joy of missing out
FOMO says, “If you cut, you’ll miss something.”
Truth says, “If you never cut, you’ll miss your thing.”
The magic isn’t in doing it all—it’s in doing the right thing, all‑in.
The brave edit
Creation is courage.
Courage to choose a subject.
Courage to drop the rest.
Courage to trust that less can carry more meaning, more punch, more love.
Press Delete with a smile.
Let the noise fall away.
Let the subject step forward.
Less drag. More lift. Let’s go.