The Never-Do list
Addition By Subtraction
We are often told that success is about what we add to our lives—more habits, more connections, more effort. But wisdom often lies in subtraction. By defining what we refuse to do—a "Never Do" list— we can create the time and space to forge a path toward what actually matters.
Here is my “Never Do” list.
Never trade time for money any longer than necessary. The less you need, the quicker you can reclaim your most valuable asset: time.
Never pursue someone else’s dream. If you don’t have a dream to pursue, no better use of your time than spending it finding one.
Never be a consumer when you could be a producer. Consumption drains energy while production energizes.
Never shy away from discomfort because growth can only happen at the edge of the comfort zone.
Never try to answer the big questions when you are failing to answer the small ones.
Never try to convince others of the seriousness of your problems. Your problems are your own to solve.
Never wait for 'the right time' to start. The perfect conditions are a myth used to justify procrastination; start before you feel ready.
Charlie Munger famously advocated: “Invert, always invert.”
He believed that many hard problems are best solved when they are addressed backwards. If you want to know how to be happy, first figure out what makes you miserable, then avoid it.
This “Never-Do” list is inversion in practice.
It is a defensive strategy for life. By subtracting the things that drain time and energy, create the space needed for prosperity.
Success isn’t always about doing more things. More often, it’s about never doing the wrong things.