Prune the Tree
Growth through subtraction.
A framework from The Reinventor’s Mindset™ by Ashton Jones
What is Prune the Tree?
This is the seventh framework inside The Reinventor’s Mindset and the first in Part Three: The Endless Ocean, which focuses on sustaining transformation without burning out.
Most people try to grow by adding more. More habits. More commitments. More goals. More projects. Eventually the backpack gets so heavy that movement becomes impossible.
Michelangelo didn’t create David. He removed everything that wasn’t David. The sculpture was already inside the stone.
Transformation isn’t adding a new self. It’s removing what was never you.
The Insight
Speed comes from lightness, not strength. Audit constantly. Remove what was never you.
The Marble Audit
Transformation isn’t adding a new self. It’s removing what was never you. For every habit, commitment, belief, relationship, and role you carry, ask: is this marble, or is this me? Did you choose it, or did it accumulate? Does it serve who you’re becoming, or who you used to be? Keep only what belongs. Remove the rest.
The Question
“What are you carrying that was never yours?”
Why it matters?
Transformation isn’t adding a new self. It’s removing what was never you.
Speed comes from lightness, not strength. The things that served you well for years can outlive their usefulness. Those are the hardest to let go - and usually the most important.
How do you apply Prune the Tree?
Remove one thing this month. Not add - remove. A commitment, a meeting, a relationship that drains energy, a habit that no longer serves you. The question isn’t “what should I start?” It’s “what should I stop?”
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FAQ
01.
How do you know what to subtract?
Ask: does this serve who I’m becoming, or who I used to be? If the answer is “who I used to be,” it’s marble. The tricky ones are the things that served you well for years but have outlived their usefulness. Those are the hardest to let go - and usually the most important.
02.
Can organisations apply Prune the Tree, or is it only personal?
Both. Organisations accumulate marble too - processes, meetings, reporting lines, products that no longer justify their cost. The principle is the same: growth through subtraction. Audit what you carry. Remove what no longer serves the mission.
Ashton Jones
Transformation is a learnable skill, not a personality trait. I build new things inside systems designed to stay the same – and I teach others to do the same.
Copyright: © 2026 Ashton Jones. All rights reserved.
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