Wonderful message and reminder. Thank you, Justin. I'm removing people-pleasing from emptying my energy tank and replacing it with improving my guitar playing and writing good songs.
yeahhhh, i 100% agree. less is always, always, always more. i wish more people understood this.
this is why my life's work is specifically focused on deep cellular cleansing + detox.
most people try to add supplements, biohacks, and peptides to achieve optimal health and waste a shit ton of money doing so, but TRUE health + vitality actually comes from removing what's holding you down (waste, blockages, toxins, parasites, mold, heavy metals). it’s much more simple than people think.
your body is a self-healing, self-regenerating, self-cleansing organism under the right conditions. you just need to give it those conditions. :)
andddd, the physical body is the first doorway. when you clear the physical body, you elevate your mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic frequency. i work with so many high performers, CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and so on who experience quantum leaps in so many more areas of life because of this work.
i do regular attention audits (pretty much weekly) to look at any apps, people, places, activities, things, relationships, mindsets, behaviors, etc. that are draining me of my energy and ruthlessly eliminating them. that requires intentionality + focus.
Incredible article. I'm going to post this on my desk: "Your phone is built to interrupt you. Social media is built to addict you. The news exists to make you worried. Even the way most businesses work is designed to add complexity, not remove it."
This was great! It reminded me of a core mantra in my life -- which I'm doing my best to pass down to my children for their future decision-making. And that is...
"You can own things, but things can own you."
Point being, the old saying "less is more" is usually right from a contentment perspective -- at least for me. For example, I live in a waterfront neighborhood where so many people tend to want to "keep up with the Jones'". It seems so exhausting. The boats. The pools. The jet skis. The condo on the beach. Whatever it may be. But all those things come with a cost. Many people don't see all the background requirements and capital that go into all of those -- both of which require more time, money, and energy to offset. Now, I'm not demonizing having nice things. Not at all. It's just about finding true joy, peace, and contentment. And for me, "things" don't fulfill that. My wife, children, and seeing them full of joy, peace, and content is what truly fulfills me.
Anyhow... Sorry for the rambling. This just really hit home with me and I wanted to share the above for what it's worth.
P.S. I also sometimes wonder if this topic of "subtraction" vs. "addition" is being too generous. I almost feel like it becomes more of a "multiplication" game when one thing gets added. I'll save that rant for another day.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation of things that dont cost anything and an understanding of the true cost of all those material things your neighbours have (financial stress, relationship issues, time lost with loved ones while they are slaving to pay the bank loans). Hard to do in a wealthy area but keep doing it!
Less is more. As someone who traveled and lived abroad for a couple of years I learned this personally. I always felt light with just the stuff that could fit in two suitcases. Now, back in Germany and with a permanent place, the stuff automatically accumulates. It’s a heavier feeling and I miss the lightness sometimes. On the other hand a lot of the stuff I own is supporting my craft or the creation of my dream business so it has its upsides as well. Thank you for this thoughtfully written piece.
True luxury is being the master of your own destiny, whether that's health, wealth, or just a more general interpretation of how you get to spend your time.
I actually wrote something similar the other day just about how I have had people every year for 30 years point out to me how I could make my business bigger, how I could scale it and how I could grow more.
I then point out to them that their advice is irrelevant. Both they and I, in most cases, know people who have done exactly that and don't actually earn any more money because of the cost of overhead. And most people I know who have taken that route are burnt out, stressed and miserable.
For what?
I'd much rather get to do what I want when I want than chase more stuff.
A beautiful way to unpack the name of your substack. Unsubscribe. Opt out. Subtract. I substract by making more unstructured time, creating more empty space, asking more open ended questions and having just enough wiggle room to care but not THAT much.
Steve and I are kindred spirits. Scaling for the sake of what matters most is the only option. And I’m at a point in my coaching business where my roster is almost full and my systems are simple. I tend to overcomplicate bc I’ve been trained to think I need more - but that great unlearn has been a real gift. Love this post. Really appreciate your work. Thank you 🙏
It’s refreshing to think of luxury not as more - but as less: less noise, less mental clutter, fewer things pulling at our attention. Asking ‘Does this add life?’ is such a grounded way to live.
Going through a period of mindful minimalism really changed everything for me. You realize what you truly need for fulfillment, which in my case was epic experiences with people I care about.
Wonderful message and reminder. Thank you, Justin. I'm removing people-pleasing from emptying my energy tank and replacing it with improving my guitar playing and writing good songs.
Great idea. I'm also a people pleaser.
yeahhhh, i 100% agree. less is always, always, always more. i wish more people understood this.
this is why my life's work is specifically focused on deep cellular cleansing + detox.
most people try to add supplements, biohacks, and peptides to achieve optimal health and waste a shit ton of money doing so, but TRUE health + vitality actually comes from removing what's holding you down (waste, blockages, toxins, parasites, mold, heavy metals). it’s much more simple than people think.
your body is a self-healing, self-regenerating, self-cleansing organism under the right conditions. you just need to give it those conditions. :)
andddd, the physical body is the first doorway. when you clear the physical body, you elevate your mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic frequency. i work with so many high performers, CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and so on who experience quantum leaps in so many more areas of life because of this work.
i do regular attention audits (pretty much weekly) to look at any apps, people, places, activities, things, relationships, mindsets, behaviors, etc. that are draining me of my energy and ruthlessly eliminating them. that requires intentionality + focus.
i know which steve you're talking about, ps!
I love this comment, and it's so interesting to see how connected business and health are. Ya know? And yeah, Steve's a good dude :)
ps i wrote about this theme a few weeks ago too https://open.substack.com/pub/meghanswidler/p/the-signal-the-year-of-less
always the most connected! yes, he is!
This is so true. We are constantly bombarded with more noise and FOMO. Less is more in the world of information overload. Calm is the new cool.
"Calm is the new cool." That's good stuff right there, Michael.
Incredible article. I'm going to post this on my desk: "Your phone is built to interrupt you. Social media is built to addict you. The news exists to make you worried. Even the way most businesses work is designed to add complexity, not remove it."
Too much spending made my life a lot harder. It would just cause finacial stress without many returns.
Cutting back on excess and focusing on what is truly important is something more people should do.
Thanks for sharing Justin!
This was great! It reminded me of a core mantra in my life -- which I'm doing my best to pass down to my children for their future decision-making. And that is...
"You can own things, but things can own you."
Point being, the old saying "less is more" is usually right from a contentment perspective -- at least for me. For example, I live in a waterfront neighborhood where so many people tend to want to "keep up with the Jones'". It seems so exhausting. The boats. The pools. The jet skis. The condo on the beach. Whatever it may be. But all those things come with a cost. Many people don't see all the background requirements and capital that go into all of those -- both of which require more time, money, and energy to offset. Now, I'm not demonizing having nice things. Not at all. It's just about finding true joy, peace, and contentment. And for me, "things" don't fulfill that. My wife, children, and seeing them full of joy, peace, and content is what truly fulfills me.
Anyhow... Sorry for the rambling. This just really hit home with me and I wanted to share the above for what it's worth.
P.S. I also sometimes wonder if this topic of "subtraction" vs. "addition" is being too generous. I almost feel like it becomes more of a "multiplication" game when one thing gets added. I'll save that rant for another day.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation of things that dont cost anything and an understanding of the true cost of all those material things your neighbours have (financial stress, relationship issues, time lost with loved ones while they are slaving to pay the bank loans). Hard to do in a wealthy area but keep doing it!
Well said, Pauline! And I promise to do my best. Thank you so much for the reply and encouragement. Stay blessed!
Things I removed from my life in 2025:
a) I stopped watching news all the time -> Made me calmer
b) I stopped ordering food on weekends -> Learned to cook at home
c) I stopped picking up calls after work -> Learned to get my own solo time
Things I want to remove form my life in 2026:
a) Figure out what all subscriptions I want to stop
b) Figure out all the bad habits I need to stop and actually do it(P.S. Not enough exercise while sitting behind the table with my laptop on)
c) Disconnect from needy people who don't serve my future life
Less is more. As someone who traveled and lived abroad for a couple of years I learned this personally. I always felt light with just the stuff that could fit in two suitcases. Now, back in Germany and with a permanent place, the stuff automatically accumulates. It’s a heavier feeling and I miss the lightness sometimes. On the other hand a lot of the stuff I own is supporting my craft or the creation of my dream business so it has its upsides as well. Thank you for this thoughtfully written piece.
I could not agree more.
True luxury is being the master of your own destiny, whether that's health, wealth, or just a more general interpretation of how you get to spend your time.
I actually wrote something similar the other day just about how I have had people every year for 30 years point out to me how I could make my business bigger, how I could scale it and how I could grow more.
I then point out to them that their advice is irrelevant. Both they and I, in most cases, know people who have done exactly that and don't actually earn any more money because of the cost of overhead. And most people I know who have taken that route are burnt out, stressed and miserable.
For what?
I'd much rather get to do what I want when I want than chase more stuff.
A beautiful way to unpack the name of your substack. Unsubscribe. Opt out. Subtract. I substract by making more unstructured time, creating more empty space, asking more open ended questions and having just enough wiggle room to care but not THAT much.
Awesome. Nice work, Alex!
Totally agree with this.
In fact these days, if I start feeling really unease, I ask myself what I added instead of subtracted.
For me, turning off the HISTORY on Youtube was one of the most impactful subtraction i've made.
Oh wow. Good move.
I’d add that exercise is the best antidote for a chaotic mind.
After exercising I can think clearly on what I want to focus on and more importantly, what I want to block out.
For sure. About to head to the gym myself.
Steve and I are kindred spirits. Scaling for the sake of what matters most is the only option. And I’m at a point in my coaching business where my roster is almost full and my systems are simple. I tend to overcomplicate bc I’ve been trained to think I need more - but that great unlearn has been a real gift. Love this post. Really appreciate your work. Thank you 🙏
Appreciate you readingt it, Amber.
I’ve really appreciated your posts lately on becoming or staying smaller and quieter. Thank you.
Thanks!
This perspective really lands.
It’s refreshing to think of luxury not as more - but as less: less noise, less mental clutter, fewer things pulling at our attention. Asking ‘Does this add life?’ is such a grounded way to live.
Thank you for this.
Going through a period of mindful minimalism really changed everything for me. You realize what you truly need for fulfillment, which in my case was epic experiences with people I care about.