We all carry an invisible backpack, writes Donna McGeorge.*
At first, it’s light with just the basics: a few meetings, a couple of tasks, the usual expectations of modern life.
But as time goes on, we start adding more: another project, a few extra responsibilities, the pressure to be better, faster, more responsive.
Eventually, we’re hauling around a full load of emotional, mental and calendar-based clutter without ever stopping to ask: “Do I actually need this?”
By the time November rolls around, that backpack is bursting.
Work ramps up, school wraps up, the Christmas machine kicks into gear, and everyone wants one last catch-up before the year ends.
We’re dragging ourselves toward the finish line with our sanity fraying and our energy fried.
The good news is, you don’t need to overhaul your life or go on a silent retreat to feel better.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t to add more motivation or find more time - it’s to remove something that no longer serves you.
The hidden weight we normalise
We’ve become so used to being overloaded that we rarely stop to question it.
We wear busyness like a badge of honour, saying yes when we mean maybe, taking on extra tasks, maintaining outdated routines, and clinging to obligations we agreed to five years ago but no longer care about.
We do it automatically until one day we realise we’re stretched so thin and even the smallest request feels like a personal attack on our time and sanity.
This is where what I refer to as red brick thinking comes in.
What’s a Red Brick?
Imagine a wobbly LEGO bridge, one side slightly off-balance.
When I ask people how to fix it, most people try to add something, another block, a new support beam, a better design.
But the real solution is to remove the one red brick which is throwing the whole thing off.
It’s about strategic subtraction: letting go of what no longer adds value and it starts with a single, brave question of “what can I let go of today?”
Small ‘r’ vs Big ‘R’ Red Bricks
Some red bricks are easy to spot, and I call these small ‘r’ red bricks.
They’re simple subtractions which lighten your load without drama, such as cancelling a meeting which could’ve been an email, saying no to a social event you’re dreading, or unsubscribing from those 17 marketing emails you never open.
These aren’t life-changing on their own, but they create space to breathe, think, and recover – and that matters.
Then there are the big ‘R’ red bricks.
These are heavier and stickier.
They are the things you’ve outgrown, such as legacy roles, outdated responsibilities, even relationships or belief systems which no longer fit who you are.
They’re not easy to remove but when you do your whole life shifts.
You reclaim energy, confidence and clarity and your future self breathes a giant sigh of relief.
Let energy be your compass
One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is “I have to do this.”
But what if you don’t?
What if no one’s holding a stopwatch except you?
Instead of trading your time for guilt, trade your energy for impact.
Ask yourself:
You don’t need a dramatic escape plan and there’s certainly no resignation letter required, just the one conscious decision to say: “This no longer belongs in my life.”
Start small, start now
You don’t need a crisis to make a change, or permission and you certainly don’t need a self-help guru screaming at you from Instagram.
What you do need is a starting point.
Here are a few:
These are small wins that make big shifts.
Your future self will thank you
Every time you remove something that no longer serves you, you’re creating space for what does.
More energy, focus and joy – and honestly, isn’t that the point?
So, before you add another thing to your to-do list, stop, take off the backpack, unzip it, look inside and gently, deliberately remove one red brick.
*Donna McGeorge is a productivity expert and author of the bestselling It’s About Time book series, including The 25 Minute Meeting, The First 2 Hours, The 1-Day Refund. Her newest book, Red Brick Thinking is available in November. Learn more at donnamcgeorge.com
