On doing less, on purpose

It is easier to add something to a routine than to take something away. A new product arrives with a reason attached, and the reason is usually good enough on its own. Nobody adds a step because they want more to do in the morning.

We built the range the other way round. Before anything is added, we ask what it would replace, and whether the answer is genuinely better or just newer. Most of the time it is not, and the range stays the same size it was.

The result is a handful of things, chosen properly, rather than a shelf of things chosen quickly. It takes longer to build a range this way. It also means everything on it earns its place.

Restraint is not really about having less. It is about paying enough attention to know what is actually needed, and stopping there.