20 Things I Quit to Simplify My Life

Did you know simplifying your life can lead to greater success? Sometimes letting go is just as powerful as taking action, especially when you quit distractions to focus on what matters.

The Foundation of Simplification

"It's not what I do; it's what I don't do." - Dan Lok

Stop lying to yourself: simplifying your life is about removing what no longer serves your purpose. By quitting habits, obligations, and mindsets that distract or drain you, you create mental and emotional space to cultivate success, focus, and fulfillment. Simplifying your life is a deliberate strategy to align your daily actions with long-term goals, allowing you to invest energy where it truly counts and reduce noise that undermines your progress.

1. Trying to Separate Work and Life

I stopped forcing a sharp boundary between work and life. Instead, I embrace integration: inviting my family into my creative process and sharing downtime with colleagues. This approach blurs arbitrary lines, making every moment an opportunity to build relationships, enhance collaboration, and simplify the daily juggle of competing priorities.

2. Eating Because of My Emotions

Quitting emotional eating taught me that what we consume impacts confidence. When I honor the commitments I make to my health—choosing nutrients over instant comfort—I feel more disciplined and focused. Controlling my diet became a cornerstone habit that reinforces my overall ability to focus on goals that matter.

3. Caring What Other People Think

I stopped seeking external validation. When I care less about public opinion, I reclaim my power to make authentic choices. Quitting this mindset removed a constant source of anxiety, allowing me to focus entirely on my own definition of success and embrace decisions aligned with my values.

4. Short-Term Thinking

I let go of quick wins and shortcuts. Building a meaningful career and life is a long game—one that demands patience, perseverance, and consistent small actions. By quitting short-term thinking, I’ve simplified my strategy, prioritized high-impact investments, and stayed committed to goals that compound over time.

5. A Rigid Morning Routine

I released the belief that a productive day requires a 17-step morning ritual. Instead, I focus on a few key habits—like mindful breathing and journaling—that take minutes. Flexibility replaced rigidity, giving me the freedom to adapt my routine to unexpected events without sacrificing my momentum.

6. Cancelling Meetings Last Minute

I quit postponing commitments on a whim. Honoring my calendar means respecting my time and others’. Reliability simplifies scheduling friction, builds trust, and frees up mental energy that would otherwise be spent reshuffling events and apologizing for last-minute changes.

7. Phone Notifications

I turned off nonessential phone notifications and silenced my devices. This simple act eradicated a constant stream of pings, helping me enter a focused state of flow. Quitting digital interruptions lets me concentrate deeply on creative work, strategic planning, and high-leverage activities.

8. Endless Meetings

I stopped agreeing to back-to-back calls. While collaboration is vital, too many meetings dilute focus and fragment attention. By quitting excessive meetings, I carved out clear blocks of uninterrupted time to think, plan, and execute on my highest-priority tasks.

9. Remembering Every Detail

I abandoned the idea that I must memorize every fact or update. Delegating record-keeping to tools and teams freed up mental bandwidth for decision-making. Quitting the burden of recalling every detail simplified my workflow and heightened my ability to solve complex problems.

10. Alcohol and Substance Use

I removed destructive vices—whether alcohol, partying, or casual substances—to clear my mind and body. Quitting these distractions boosted my clarity, energy, and resilience. Subtraction became addition: the fewer unhealthy habits I maintained, the more room I had for peak performance.

11. Answering Random Phone Calls

I quit picking up unknown numbers on the spot. Letting voicemails accumulate gives me control over my schedule. I return calls when I choose, preserving focus until I’m ready to engage. This small shift simplified how I allocate my most valuable resource: time.

12. Finishing Every Book

I stopped forcing myself to finish books that don’t deliver value. Now, I read selectively—skimming until I find a nugget that shifts my perspective. Quitting the obligation to finish every page means I spend time only on content that fuels my growth and success.

13. Multitasking

I gave up the myth of multitasking. Splitting attention among tasks wastes cognitive energy and prolongs completion times. By focusing on one activity at a time, I simplified my schedule and achieved better results, faster.

14. Toxic Relationships

I walked away from energy-draining people. Whether family, friends, or colleagues, I quit tolerating negative influences. Creating space for uplifting connections simplified my emotional landscape and strengthened my support network.

15. Making Everyone Happy

I let go of pleasing every person in my life. Quitting people-pleasing allowed me to act with integrity, make difficult choices, and stay true to my values—simplifying decision-making and preserving my peace of mind.

16. Staying Up Late

I surrendered to an early bedtime. Quitting late-night habits ensures I wake refreshed and engage the next day with full energy. Prioritizing rest simplified my routine and dramatically improved my focus and productivity.

17. Blaming Others

I stopped blaming external factors for my setbacks. Quitting this victim mindset empowered me to accept full responsibility for my outcomes. Simplifying my narrative this way unlocked greater determination and clearer action steps.

18. Saying Yes to Everyone

I learned to say no. Quitting automatic yeses protected my schedule and priorities. By simplifying my decision process, I ensured my time aligns with goals that matter, rather than scattering my efforts on requests that don’t contribute to my success.

19. Overthinking Decisions

I curtailed analysis paralysis. Quitting the habit of overthinking meant I make choices with available information and iterate as I go. Simplifying decision-making accelerated my progress and reduced stress.

20. Comparing Myself to Others

I stopped benchmarking my journey against anyone else’s. Quitting comparison freed me to focus on my unique path. Simplifying my metric for success to “better than yesterday” has been a game changer for growth and satisfaction.

Conclusion: Simplify Your Life

By quitting distractions and unnecessary commitments, you create space to focus on what truly matters. Simplification is not about doing less because you have to, but choosing what to quit so you can excel.

• Actionable takeaway: Identify one habit or obligation you can quit today to simplify your life and sharpen your focus for greater success.

Now it’s your turn: what will you quit to simplify your life and unlock your next level of success?