February 17

The work that you do is likely very complex. Unfortunately, it’s made even more complex by the number of cooks in the kitchen. Everyone wants to add their unique spin to the project, and you probably have to navigate any number of priorities and interests just to do your job.

Work does not get more simple on its own. Left to its own inertia, work will grow increasingly complex and unwieldy. This is why subtraction is a phenomenal strategy for achieving a breakthrough.

Which objective can we remove and still be successful?

How many features can we eliminate for now so that we can focus on the ones that matter?

Who can be removed from this project so that we can achieve more team focus?

When you focus on subtraction, you center your mind on what’s essential. You cut through the clutter and noise that is generated by unnecessary complexity.

As you go about your work today, consider how you might be able to achieve more by doing less. How can you achieve addition by subtraction?

Creative breakthrough often occurs when you subtract.

As you consider your current workload, how can you use subtraction to gain better focus?