The Counterintuitive Power of Subtraction: Achieve More by Doing Less in 2025

Most people approach the New Year with a mindset of scarcity: they believe they need more—more goals, more habits, more hustle—to fill a gap in their lives. But often, it’s the too muchness that holds us back.

Think about it: a garden grows best when it’s pruned, not overrun with weeds. A river flows strongest when it’s not split into too many tributaries. Your energy works the same way.

Last year, a client came to me in January with 12 resolutions. By March, most of them had fizzled out. She felt defeated—not because she lacked discipline, but because she had overcomplicated her vision. Together, we did something radical: we cut her list down to just two key goals, and she achieved both by the end of the year.

The counterintuitive truth? The less you focus on, the more impactful you can be. In 2025, your most powerful resolution might not be what you add—but what you remove.