Doing Less of “More”

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What could you do less of?

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My mother has always said that I do too much. She may be right. If the blog prompt asks what I could do less of, the honest answer is this: I could do less of “more.”

There’s something in me—an impulse, a reflex—that thinks I can always add one more thing. One more project. One more responsibility. One more idea. It comes from good places in me: I’m naturally inquisitive, so I love to learn. I’m naturally passionate, so if I believe in something, I want to be involved. These are strengths, woven deeply into who I am. They’ve carried me far. They’ve shaped my work, my leadership, my friendships.

But the older I get, the more I realise that capacities need boundaries. Just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should. Just because something is worthwhile doesn’t mean it is mine to take on. And just because my interest is piqued doesn’t mean that is needs to fill my calendar.

So I’ve been thinking about doing less—not in a minimalist, cut-everything-back kind of way. Instead, recognising that energy, curiosity, and passion are not infinite. They need spaces to breathe. They need rhythms of rest. They need me to protect them.

Which means I need to become better at retiring things. I should do an annual audit—an honest look at what is still giving life. A yearly cull, a pruning, the kind gardeners do so the tree can keep growing strong.

There will always be more to learn, more to contribute, more to get involved in. But perhaps wisdom looks like this: holding my good impulses lightly, honouring my capacities, and setting boundaries before they set themselves.

Doing less of “more,” so that the things that matter most can flourish.