Could Doing Less Actually Help You Achieve More in Life?

I could do less explaining myself to others, less consuming and more creating, less perfectionism in first drafts, and less false urgency. It’s about staying aware of what drains my energy and consciously making space for what truly matters.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The to-do list keeps growing. The expectations keep mounting. The noise keeps getting louder. But beneath all of it is a simpler question waiting to be heard: what would happen if you just stopped? Not everything. Just the things that never served you to begin with.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

What Could I Do Less Of? Revisiting a Question That Never Gets Old

This is the third time WordPress has offered me this prompt: “What could you do less of?”

The first time, back in [2023](https://riseandinspire.co.in/2023/12/08/refining-my-blogging-journey/), I focused on refining my blogging habits. The second time, in [2024](https://riseandinspire.co.in/2024/12/08/the-art-of-doing-less-a-path-to-meaningful-living/), I explored the art of doing less as a path to meaningful living—examining overthinking, comparison, and the weight of unnecessary obligations.

Now, as December 2025 arrives, I find myself facing the same question again. And honestly? I’m grateful for it.

Because the truth is, this isn’t a question we answer once and move on from. It’s a question that deserves to be revisited regularly, like pruning a garden. What felt essential last year might feel excessive today. What we released before might have crept back in wearing a different disguise.

So what could I do less of right now, in this season of my life?

I could do less explaining. Less justifying my choices to people who haven’t earned that level of access to my inner world. I’ve noticed how much energy I spend defending decisions that don’t actually require anyone else’s approval—what I read, how I spend my weekends, the pace at which I’m moving toward my goals. There’s a quiet confidence in simply living without constant narration.

I could do less consuming and more creating. It’s so easy to scroll endlessly, absorbing everyone else’s thoughts, opinions, and carefully curated lives. But that passive consumption leaves me feeling full yet somehow empty. What if I spent that time writing, thinking, building something that reflects my own voice instead of echoing others?

I could do less striving for perfection in first drafts. This one hits close to home as a writer and blogger. I’ve caught myself rewriting opening lines five times before finishing a single paragraph, or abandoning ideas because they don’t feel polished enough from the start. But rough drafts are meant to be rough. The magic happens in the revision, not in the pressure to get it perfect immediately.

I could do less urgency. Not everything is an emergency, even when it feels like one. Not every message needs an instant response. Not every opportunity requires immediate action. Some things can wait. Some things should wait. And creating space between stimulus and response often leads to better decisions anyway.

Looking back at my [previous reflections on this prompt](https://riseandinspire.co.in/2024/12/08/the-art-of-doing-less-a-path-to-meaningful-living/), I see themes that remain constant-the desire to overthink less, to compare less, to carry less of what isn’t mine to carry. But I also see growth. The specific ways these patterns show up in my life have shifted, become more subtle, more sophisticated.

That’s why this question matters. It’s not about achieving some final state of minimalist perfection where we’ve eliminated all excess forever. It’s about staying awake to our own lives, noticing what’s accumulated, and making conscious choices about what we keep and what we release.

As I wrote last year, doing less isn’t about emptiness-it’s about making room. Room for what energises rather than depletes. Room for depth instead of breadth. Room for presence instead of performance.

So here’s to asking ourselves again and again: What could I do less of?

The answer will keep changing. And that’s exactly as it should be.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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