We all do things we don’t like to do. Things that clutter up our days. And there are many reasons why these things stay on our schedules. You might spend as much as half your time at work doing things you hate doing—and aren’t good at to boot—just because they need to be done. Or maybe you spend a few hours a week of your free time volunteering at the local animal shelter. You don’t really like the work, but you think it’s the right thing to do.

The fact is, our calendars are full of things that we don’t really need to do. You’re probably spending a good portion of your time doing things that could be eliminated. Like empty calories, these things aren’t doing you any good.

It’s time to clean these things off your plate.

Cleaning off your plate means taking certain things off your schedule, and replacing them with high-payoff activities. It means finding the time to do the things you want—and need—to do. Cleaning off your plate means finally having time to do things you enjoy. Cleaning off your plate means creating new habits, taking better care of yourself, and redesigning your life. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

So why don’t more people do it?

Well, I never said cleaning off your plate was easy. There are few words more respected by people than “I’m busy.” Having a full plate makes us feel responsible, and gives us more self-worth. We suffer under the illusion that the more we can cram into our days, the more we accomplish.

It reminds me of my friend, Tracey. “When I look at what I do during a typical day, I realize that by 9 a.m. I’ve done what most people have done in three days!” she recently said. “So why do I feel so terrible?”

Doing more in less time isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, is it? Our plates may be full, but it’s not with the fulfillment and satisfaction that we’re seeking. As a matter of fact, it often feels like the more we get done, the worse we feel.

That’s because when we jam too many things into a day, we lose focus on the things that matter most. And some of them don’t get done, or if they do get done, don’t get done in the best way.

If you want to achieve more, you have to do less. It’s that simple.