My 2026 promise: remove first, then add

Hey friends,

On New Year’s Day, I was driving back from Dallas after flying a drone for the Cotton Bowl live broadcast. I put on a conversation between Steven Bartlett and Chris Williamson, and one line rewired how I think about “new year goals.”

If you’re going to add something this year, you should also commit to removing something to make space for it.

I’ve made resolutions before. I’ve stacked habits before. I’ve bought tools before.

This year I’m trying something simpler.

My 2026 promise: subtract before I add.

So I tried it immediately.

Today I sold 20 books that had been sitting around my office. Some were brand new. Some were gifts. Some were well read. I bundled them on Facebook Marketplace for $60 and they sold in under 4 hours.

The money was nice.

But the real win was this: the obligation disappeared.

The stacks were gone. The visual noise was gone. The tiny background guilt of “I should deal with that” was gone.

I love reading, but I’ve learned I read more consistently on a Kindle. One handed. Any lighting. No shadows. No lugging books around. I sold my old Kindle years ago because it was getting old, and I’ve missed it ever since. I tried hard to find a second hand Paperwhite in Austin (I love the circular economy), then checked open box options at Best Buy to keep it local, and finally ended up ordering one online.

And in the process, I realized something I think entrepreneurs forget:

Selling little things is practice for selling big things.

Writing a clear listing. Pricing it. Following up. Closing. Handing it off. Done.

Always be selling.

Last week I helped my dad sell a set of snow tires he’d been storing from an old car. We got almost 3x what we expected. But again, the best part wasn’t the cash. It was that they were gone. The storage space came back. The “we should deal with that someday” finally died.

So here’s the challenge I’m giving myself for 2026, and you’re welcome to steal it:

Before you commit to the new habit, the new goal, the new tool, decide what you’re removing to make it possible.

A few easy wins:

1. Unsubscribe from one newsletter you never read
2. Call the company that keeps sending you junk mail and ask them to stop
3. Pick one physical item and choose a path: sell it, donate it, gift it
4. Trash is the last resort only if there’s truly no second life

Because clutter isn’t neutral. It’s a constant low grade distraction.

And it can be a sneaky form of self deception.

The dusty elliptical in the garage isn’t “motivation.” For most of us, it’s guilt with a power cord.

Keeping it around feels like progress. In reality, it’s you paying rent (space, attention, and energy) for something you’re not using.

If you want new outcomes, make room and then do the work.

If you reply to this, tell me:

What’s one thing you’re letting go of in January?

Hit reply with a sentence. I’ll read every one.

Links mentioned:
Steven Bartlett LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stevenbartlett-123_if-nothing-changes-what-will-your-life-actually-activity-7411315260059443201-RN6k
Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_vZ4H3uW28
Chris Williamson review page: https://chriswillx.com/review

Rob Weidner

P.S. If you list something today, send me the screenshot. I’ll hype you up.