No More November: Cut One Thing, Make Room for What Matters

This time of year we tend to pile on more events, more spending and more yeses. This November, I’m challenging you to do the opposite: pick ONE thing that isn’t serving you anymore and cut it for 30 days.

In this episode:

• Why our brains go to “add” before “subtract,” and the University of Virginia study that shows it
• Why a 30-day break works, based on Dry January research (even the people who slipped still saw results)
• How to use friction instead of willpower
• What I’m cutting this month: time on my other Instagram accounts. That frees up almost six hours a week for the gym and for getting in front of three new business clients before December 31st.

8 questions to find your ONE thing

1. If I got 30 minutes back every day, where are they hiding right now?
2. What do I keep saying yes to out of guilt or habit?
3. What would the version of me who already reached my goal stop doing?
4. What do I always feel worse after?
5. What shows up on my screen time or bank statement that I’d rather not admit?
6. What’s the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night, and does it help me?
7. What am I doing that someone else could do, or that doesn’t need doing at all?
8. If a friend looked at my week, what would she tell me to stop?

Pick the one that frees up the most time, money or energy for the goal you care about most, even if it isn’t the easiest. Then make it hard to do, and tell someone.

Your turn: Comment or send me a message with your ONE thing, and I’ll check in on you mid-month.

Research mentioned:

• Adams, Converse, Hales & Klotz, “People Systematically Overlook Subtractive Changes,” Nature (2021): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03380-y
• University of Sussex, Dry January research: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/news/features/all?id=50562

No More November. Let’s go into December lighter than we came in. 🍂