If your new year’s resolutions have already fallen by the wayside, you’re not alone, writes Elizabeth Grace Saunders in Before You Set New Goals, Think About What You’re Going to Stop Doing. And for good reason: most people don’t make room for the changes by removing old activities from their schedule, and that’s a trap.

It’s the equivalent of trying to stuff more papers into a file drawer that’s already packed tight or going into debt to cover additional purchases. You can take the pinch for a little while, but soon you’re stretched too thin and need to recalibrate to get back to a sustainable lifestyle (or filing system).

Saunders’ post becomes even more relevant when you consider that in the big picture, new year’s resolutions are merely a proxy for every additional initiative you and your colleagues undertake. It reminds us that success comes not only from the willingness to start doing something new, but also the discipline to stop doing something that doesn’t work. Read it. Make the first step in your planning process to eliminate activities that aren’t producing results. You’ll be glad you did.