Let's be honest; doing less is hard and brutal.

You have to sacrifice the activities you previously held close to yourself. Acknowledging that most of what you did for all these years was a waste. Getting rid of old habits, beliefs, and other attributes of our sacred identity feels like cutting limbs.

Not to mention the fears of social rejection, missing out, and not being in control.

We humans are naturally wired to avoid loss at all costs, instead of acquiring equivalent gains. In Thinking Fast And Slow (affiliate link), Daniel Kahneman proves we are ready to do almost anything to protect what we already have, even if it is bad for us.

But we can overcome it (even if it feels unnatural) with these three tips (that has helped me become hyperproductive):

1. Ask Yourself "If I did not do this, how much would I want to do it"

Imagine you went to bed and overnight, the particular thing and activity got canceled. When you wake up, you have two options. Either choose to do it or have extra free time.

This exercise removes the sunk cost bias and pride from the activity itself and gives you the right perspective to evaluate if it truly is essential. If you want free time the most, cut out the activity.

2. Celebrate the extra freedom as a big win

By cutting out the 80%, you are technically not losing. You are gaining lots of valuable time by removing all the smelly garbage. If you ever seek freedom, this is the way.

3. Thank the activity for what it did to you

In Mari Kondo's mega-bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying, she advises doing a goodbye ritual to all the things to be trashed. By thanking the item for its service, you remove all the guilt and negative feelings.

The same can be done for commitments and habits.

Remember that they helped you become your current self. By being grateful, you can safely remove them since it no longer feels like a punishment. If there are people involved, express gratitude to them too.

Because you will gain 100x by being hyperproductive and only doing the essential.