Welcome back.
I thought I would share my favorite “stop doing” list.
Why not? More joy = more success!
TODAYS JOY INSIGHT
Stop Doing These Today
Your Stop Doing List
Most of us create endless to-do lists, piling on tasks until our joy gets buried. But rarely do we write a Stop Doing List— a deliberate inventory of habits, obligations, and mindsets that drain energy and steal joy. If you want to succeed, you don’t just add; you subtract. You cut away what no longer serves you.
Here are a few things worth ejecting:
Stop chasing perfection. Perfection is a mirage. It doesn’t exist. Chasing it will only rob you of joy and delay your progress. Aim for excellence, not flawless.
Stop saying yes to everything. Every “yes” to something unimportant is a “no” to something that matters. Guard your time like your joy depends on it — because it does.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Their journey isn’t yours. Comparison fuels envy and steals gratitude. Celebrate your own progress.
Stop overexplaining and overthinking. Most of the time, “good enough” is truly enough. Release yourself from the trap of replaying conversations or rehearsing imaginary ones.
Stop clinging to toxic people. You don’t need everyone’s approval. Surround yourself with those who bring light, not shadows.
Stop apologizing for being joyful. Joy isn’t naïve. It’s powerful. Don’t dim your light just because someone else is stuck in the dark.
And here’s the one only you can write for yourself:
Stop doing the things you know deep down are toxic for you. Maybe it’s doomscrolling at midnight, staying in a draining job too long, numbing yourself with habits you’d never admit to others, or replaying an old hurt on loop. You already know what those things are. They may not make anyone else’s list — but they belong on yours.
Reflection Exercise: Write Your Stop Doing List
Take five quiet minutes right now. Grab a pen and paper (yes, old school — it matters) and write down three to five things you know you need to stop doing. Don’t edit. Don’t justify. Just write them.
What habits consistently drain your energy?
Who or what leaves you feeling heavy after every interaction?
What do you keep doing that you know steals your joy?
Circle one item and commit to stopping it this week. Not forever, not perfectly, just one bold step. Momentum starts small — and every joy killer you eject creates space for joy to grow.
KEVIN’S RESOURCES
THE BOOK
The full Joy-Success Cycle framework, the science behind it, and how to put it to work. Everything in this newsletter starts here.
KEYNOTE SPEAKING
The AI era does not have to make work colder, faster, or less human. I help leaders and teams see how AI can eliminate the work that drains us—so people can spend more time creating, connecting, succeeding, and finding joy in what they do. Driving more success!
The Joy Success Cycle is designed to change lives in the AI era.
I’d love to come to your stage at your next event.