The Stop-Doing Ledger: Subtraction sprints for burnout prevention

It’s Monday morning. Your calendar is wall-to-wall, Slack’s pinging like a pokies machine, and your inbox has politely transformed into a landfill. You haven’t had a proper lunch break in weeks, but somehow you’re still adding “one more thing” to the to‑do list. You’re not lazy—you’re overloaded. And the fix isn’t more motivation. It’s subtraction.

Enter the Stop‑Doing Ledger: a simple way to run a short “subtraction sprint” that removes low‑value work, frees up time, and slows the slide towards burnout.

What’s a Stop‑Doing Ledger?

A Stop‑Doing Ledger is a short, focused list of tasks, meetings, and habits you’ll stop, pause, reduce, delegate, or automate for a set timeframe (often 7–14 days). Think of it as a productivity detox: you remove inputs to restore clarity and energy, then only reintroduce what genuinely helps.

Why subtraction beats adding “one more hack”

• Burnout is often about load, not laziness. Removing 3–5 drains usually beats adding 10 micro‑optimisations.
• Complex lives need simple rules. “Stop checking email before 10am” is easier to stick to than “triage perfectly every hour”.
• Quick wins build momentum. Subtraction sprints show progress in days, not months.

Run your first subtraction sprint (in under an hour)

1) Do a 20‑minute Energy + ROI audit

Open your calendar and last week’s task list. Mark each item as:

• G = gives energy or high impact
• D = drains energy or low impact

Pattern match the Ds. Typical culprits:

• Recurring meetings with no decisions
• “Quick checks” that fragment focus (email, chat, socials)
• Over‑customised reporting nobody reads
• Reactive firefighting someone else can own

2) Create your Stop‑Doing Ledger

Choose 5–10 items across these categories:

• Stop: unsubscribe from low‑value newsletters; no email before 10am
• Pause: two optional committees for 14 days
• Reduce: consolidate status updates to one weekly note
• Delegate: first draft of slides to a colleague/assistant
• Automate: invoice reminders and calendar buffers

Write each item with an “instead” action. Example: “Stop daily stand‑up (optional) → Instead: async update by 3pm daily in the channel.” This keeps value flowing without your time cost.

3) Set a 7–14 day window and guardrails

• Decide your rules: e.g., “No meetings on Wednesdays”, “Two 90‑min focus blocks daily”, “Email windows at 10:30 and 3:30 only”.
• Signal to others: drop a friendly note in your team channel so expectations are clear.
• Track two metrics: hours regained and energy (rate 1–10 at day end).

4) Use micro‑scripts to say no without burning bridges

• Meeting invite: “Thanks for the invite. Could we handle this async? If a decision’s needed, happy to review a one‑pager and respond by COB Thursday.”
• Scope creep: “Keen to help. Given current priorities, what should drop if we add this? Happy to suggest options.”
• Recurring catch‑up: “Could we trial fortnightly for two weeks? We’ll keep the agenda tight and see if the cadence still serves.”

5) Review weekly: what stays off, what comes back

At week’s end, pick three outcomes:

• Keep off: the things no one missed
• Bring back lite: reduced frequency, shorter duration, or async
• Reintroduce fully: only if it clearly drives results

Real‑life examples

Sarah, product manager in Brisbane paused two status meetings, moved design feedback to a shared doc, and set a 10am email start. In two weeks she reclaimed six hours, shipped a roadmap update early, and slept better. Her team reported fewer “just checking in” messages because the async doc captured decisions.

Owen, school admin in Melbourne automated parent reminder emails and batched approvals into two daily windows. He ditched morning inbox refreshes, which cut context switching and gave him time to walk to work. Energy score went from 5 to 8 by the second week.

Common pitfalls (and easy fixes)

• Cutting without replacing – Always add an “instead” to keep the value (e.g., async update, templated report).
• Going too big – Ten tiny subtractions beat one dramatic overhaul you can’t sustain.
• Silent changes – Tell stakeholders what you’re trialling and when you’ll review.
• Backfilling free time with more tasks – Block your reclaimed time for focused work or genuine rest.

A simple template you can copy

Use this structure for your ledger:

• Item: [What you’ll stop/pause/reduce/delegate/automate]
• Instead: [Async update, template, delegation, automation]
• Start–end dates: [7–14 days]
• Success metric: [Hours saved, energy score, outcome shipped]

Tools to make it effortless

Any notebook can run a Stop‑Doing Ledger. If you prefer a lightweight digital planner, Meloplan makes subtraction sprints easy: set a goal for the fortnight, tag tasks you’re subtracting, check in daily with a quick energy score, and review what stays off. Because it’s simple, you actually use it—no elaborate setup required.

Try a two‑week subtraction sprint in Meloplan and feel the difference: https://app.meloplan.com/register

Quick start: your first 5 subtractions

• No email or chat before 10am (add a status note).
• Cancel one recurring meeting and replace with a shared doc.
• Unsubscribe from five low‑value newsletters.
• Batch admin into a 30‑min block after lunch.
• Schedule two 90‑min focus blocks, phone on Do Not Disturb.

Burnout isn’t a personal failing; it’s a signal your system is overloaded. A Stop‑Doing Ledger gives you a practical, kind way to lighten the load—fast. Start small, subtract boldly, and let your best work (and energy) return.