When humans solve problems, we overlook an incredibly powerful option: we don't subtract. We pile on 'to-dos' but don't consider 'stop-doings.' We create incentives for high performance, but don't get rid of obstacles to our goals. Whether considering a stack of Legos, preparing a grilled cheese sandwich, or writing an essay, Leidy Klotz shows that we consistently overlook the principle of subtraction as a way to improve. Our mental preference for addition--for adding to what's already there rather than thinking of taking away--is so wide-spread and strong that we would prefer to accommodate wrong ideas than simply remove them