Lately, I’ve been subtracting….also known as saying no.

Not because I’m burnt out (though I’ve been there).
Not because I’m chasing “balance” (whatever that means).

But because I want more meaning. I want to FEEL the purpose inside every minute.

For years, I ran blindly toward “yes.”

✔️ Yes to non critical meetings.
✔️ Yes to 10pm Slacks.
✔️ Yes to endless volunteering, home projects, personal favors, and crises that weren’t mine to own.

Man, I’m exhausted just writing that.

I was showing up everywhere—and being present nowhere.
47 browser tabs open. Half-finished writing, rabbit-hole searches, unfinished ideas.

And Saturdays? Seven events split between kid activities and adult events (Remember how I always somehow made it to yours?)

So I made a decision: 2025 would be the year of deliberate subtraction.
Not ruthlessly. But consciously.
Now, I say no.

🚫No to what doesn’t create meaningful impact.
🚫 No to multitasking.
🚫No to things I neither have time for—nor desire to do.

Or, in the wise words of Parker Posey in The White Lotus:
“I just don’t have the will…”

Saying No? Leads to better Yeses!

✅ Yes to doing my best creative work—with intent and focus.
✅ Yes to leading with clarity—not half-finished thoughts.
✅ Yes to being a mother who’s not just physically present, but mentally unburdened.

The result?
Sharper work.
Deeper ideas.
More grounded leadership.
More thoughtful parenting.

As Justin Welsh puts it:
“The most productive people? They’re masters of subtraction—not addition. They know what to ignore. What to delete. What to skip. What to quit.”

The The Wall Street Journal called it slow productivity.

I call it: working—and living—with focused intention.

And sometimes, that intention looks like baking banana muffins with my daughter on a quiet afternoon. Because of all the things I could be doing… that just might be the most productive one.