The Art of Subtraction: Why You Should Delete Your Resolutions
Adding new habits trips your "Willpower Breaker"—and how to fix the short circuit.
January is usually an orgy of Addition.
We start the year with a deficit of willpower and try to fix it by adding a mountain of obligations.
Add a gym routine.
Add 20 minutes of meditation.
Add a reading habit.
Add a new diet.
We treat our lives like an empty house that just needs new furniture. But the house isn’t empty. It is cluttered. It is overflowing with old habits, distractions, and noise.
If you try to pour “Discipline” into a cup that is already full of “Distraction,” it doesn’t mix but It overflows. This is why most resolutions fail by February if not into the first week. You didn’t lack the motivation; you lacked the space.
This year, I am proposing a different approach. Don’t set goals. Instead, set deletions. One that has worked for me over the years but more so the past year since I began this work.
The Economics of Willpower
Resolutions are expensive. They cost Willpower, and contrary to the “Hustle Culture” myth, your willpower is not infinite. It is more akin to a battery.
Every time you force yourself to do something new (go to the gym), you drain the battery. But here is the catch: every time you resist a distraction (ignoring a notification), you also drain the battery. Whether you are forcing action or resisting temptation, you are drawing from the same power source, which has limited power.
If you add three new habits without removing the old distractions, you are burning the candle at both ends. You will trip the breaker and create a short circuit.
To build the new, you must first subtract the old. There is no other way, we can only handle so much. In philosophy, this is called Via Negativa—improvement by removal.
Case Study: The Digital Leash
The most obvious place to start subtracting is the screen. You have probably stumbled across an article this season as it is one of the topics making the rounds.
I have viewed this simply for a long time: Scrolling is an addiction. When you are on it constantly, you are under the influence of a drug. You fail to see the moment for what it is because you are too busy looking for the next hit of dopamine. You are in a trance—whether you accept it or not (that is a topic for another day).
We act like Pavlov’s dogs. The bell rings (notification), and we salivate (check the phone). We are not the masters of the tool; we are the pets.
When you scroll Instagram, you are not looking at a product. You are the product. The algorithm knows it, and it was created to keep you there, to harvest your attention, and it is much smarter than your willpower.
For a while now, I have had enough of looking at life through a rectangle. But I am also a realist and practical. I know that in today’s world, “quitting the internet” is not entirely practical. You cannot carry a productive life or run a business if you go live in a cave.
The goal isn’t Abstinence. The goal is Autonomy. It is about taking back the leash.
The Anchor Protocol: Subtraction in Practice
I still have the necessary accounts. I use Instagram. But my relationship with them has changed because I applied Subtraction first.
Here is what the “System of Less” looks like:
Subtract the Apps (The Purge) We carry dozens of apps we “might” need. Delete them. If it doesn’t serve a critical function or bring you genuine joy (for me is art and cooking), get it off the phone. If you need it once a month, use the desktop version. Friction is your friend.
Subtract the Push (The Badge) The most powerful subtraction you can make is turning off all automatic notifications. I do not let an app tap me on the shoulder. I removed the banners, the buzzes, and the pop-ups. I left only the “Badge” (the red dot). This shifts the power dynamic. Instead of the phone demanding my attention, I decide when to give it attention. I am no longer a slave to the ping.
Subtract the “Drift” (The Schedule) I don’t “check” social media. I schedule it. I have clearly defined times to access the platforms. I go in, I look for specific inspiration (art, cooking, design), and I get out. I am not there to “check on the life of others.” I am there to retrieve data, not to consume noise.
The Universal Rule
This doesn’t just apply to phones. This is the blueprint for the entire year.
Want a better diet? Don’t add kale. Subtract the cookies from the pantry.
Want to save money? Don’t add a complex budget. Subtract the shopping apps and the recurring subscriptions that make it easy to spend.
Want more focus? Don’t add a productivity tool. Subtract the open tabs. Do nothing and sit still once or twice a week.
Improvement is not about doing more. It is about removing the things that stop you from doing what matters.
This week, don’t ask yourself what you need to start. Ask yourself: What am I willing to delete?
Clear the deck. The rest will follow.
And if you ask me, start with the notifications.