Obligation Audit

The Intent

Next, Subtraction targets obligations, the recurring commitments forced onto you by others. The Obligation Audit separates true necessities from false obligations that only persist through guilt, habit, or pressure.

The Practice

Write down your recurring commitments, the "obligations": work, social, family, financial, personal. Now, test each of them with two questions: "Would a clear consequence follow if I stopped doing this?" and "Am I doing this from genuine duty, or because of guilt, fear, or for reputation?". Mark those that fail these two questions as false obligations rather than real necessities and eliminate them.

The Insight

True obligations hold real consequences, while false ones only chain you down through emotional weight. This audit reveals which duties are unavoidable, and which are self-imposed noise to cut. Removing false obligations frees time and energy once bound to appearances or guilt, which you can allocate towards achieving your goals.