20 things Dan Martell quit to simplify his life

Executive overview

Most people try to add habits to improve their lives. Martell argues the bigger gains come from subtraction. An 8-minute list of 20 specific things he stopped doing — covering energy, focus, relationships, and decisions.

Simplification is not about doing more; it's about identifying and eliminating what actively costs you.

The 20 things he quit

1. Work-life separation — he integrates both; family is present at work, colleagues at play.
2. Emotional eating — breaking commitments to yourself erodes confidence.
3. Caring what others think — people who haven't done what you want to do shouldn't shape your decisions.
4. Short-term thinking — shortcuts burn you; long-term decisions with long-term people win.
5. Rigid morning routines — a few minutes to reset is enough; the 17-step routine makes one bad morning ruin the day.
6. Last-minute meeting cancellations — rescheduling signals your own priorities don't matter; it damages trust.
7. Phone notifications — every ping kills flow state; unknown numbers go straight to voicemail.
8. Excessive meetings — busyness is not productivity; there are only one or two genuinely important decisions per day.
9. Trying to remember everything — offloading detail frees cognitive space for high-value decisions.
10. Vices (alcohol, gambling, gaming, etc.) — the next level requires giving something up; subtraction adds to life.
11. Answering unknown calls — unknown numbers go to voicemail; he calls back when he's finished the committed task.
12. Finishing every book — one useful idea per book is enough; put it down once you have it.
13. Multitasking — switching between tasks is slower than serial focus; it's an illusion of productivity.
14. Energy-draining people — do a "friendventory"; protect energy from critics who resent your progress.
15. Trying to make everyone happy — others' reality is not your responsibility; act with right intention and move on.
16. Staying up late — he has a bedtime alarm, not just a wake alarm; morning energy is non-negotiable.
17. Blaming others — treating your situation as 100% your own creation returns power to you.
18. Saying yes to everyone — say no to others to say yes to your own goals.
19. Overthinking decisions — at 70% of the information needed, decide; make a decision and make it right rather than waiting for the right decision.
20. Comparing yourself to others — the only valid comparison is yourself yesterday.