What if the secret to doing more good was… doing less?
In this first Subtract to Succeed Live, I share the core method I’ve been quietly testing with leaders, teams, and helpers for the last few years. And why I’m finally “coming out” with it publicly.
We start with some suspicious math:
1 + 1 = 2.
If you’re really good, 1 + 1 = 3.
But what if 1 – 1 could still = 1?
When one “you” subtracts one inherited should, outdated habit, or unhelpful thought, you are still whole — often even more whole than before. That’s the heart of Subtract to Succeed™: doing more good in your life, work, and world without doing more.
In this 40-minute session, I walk through:
Why subtraction, why now – including why I’m worried about “helpers” and what a head-on collision with a 20-ton truck taught me about doing too much, too fast.
What subtraction is not – This is not a four-hour-workweek fantasy, a “let them…” meme, or a mountaintop-meditation-retreat solution. You can be wildly ambitious, proudly Type A, and still subtract.
A quick refresher on Lead in 3D™ (ME | WE | WORLD) – and why multidimensional goals, by themselves, weren’t enough to keep me from flaming out.
The Stop · Drop · Roll method
Stop: Collect real data on your energy, body, mood, and calendar.
Drop: Run small, reversible experiments in saying no, stepping back, or letting something go.
Roll: Use systems thinking to connect the dots so your efforts multitask, even if you don’t.
We also dig into some very real questions from the chat:
“How do I know what to subtract first?”
“How do I stop feeling guilty when I do less?”
“Can subtraction really help my organization perform in this economy?”
“Where does purpose fit into all of this?”
If you watch, you’ll walk away with at least one concrete thing to experiment with dropping this week: a recurring meeting, a board role, a dinner you don’t actually want to cook, or a thought that’s quietly draining your energy.
If you’re new here…
When you subscribe (free is absolutely welcome), you’ll get:
A Lead in 3D alignment tool I’ve used every Friday for ~4 years to tune my ME | WE | WORLD investments
A quick 3D diagnostic quiz to show you where you’re over-investing — and where subtraction might be easiest
Weekly Subtraction Scenarios on Mondays: essay + tools + an AI prompt to help you put this into practice
And if you want to bring this into your organization or community, I’m piloting Subtract to Succeed Salons for teams, ERGs, and leadership cohorts. The next public salon is on January 21: “RIP Resolutions,” offering a collective exhale from “do more” culture.
For now, hit play, take a breath, and ask yourself:
What’s one thing I could experiment with dropping? Just for a week?
Subtract to succeed, and keep on rolling. 💜
