Nix ItHold Less, Do Better
Nix It is a personal work management system that prioritizes elimination over organization. Instead of finding better ways to manage more work, focus on reducing how much you have to hold.
Learn the SystemTwo Guiding Principles
Elimination is Safe
You can remove with confidence. Important things come back. Completing something or ignoring it are equal exits. The system doesn't distinguish between them.
Less is More
Keeping track of fewer items reduces mental load and improves focus. Every item you track has a cost. When facing a tradeoff, tend towards elimination.
The Three Stage Flow
Nix It manages tasks, emails, chats, notes—anything you feel is appropriate to track. The system moves items through three stages: entry, organization, and removal.
Filter
Filtering controls what enters your system. Before tracking an item, ask yourself: What are the consequences of not tracking this? Items that carry no risk when ignored should probably be eliminated right away.
Intake
Items enter a holding area—an inbox, notebook, or any temporary collection point. This is where you sort new items into their next stage.
Transitioning
Items should be eliminated or transitioned within roughly one day. Use the 2-minute rule: if it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
Distill
Items that survive filtering are held on your canvas until they can be eliminated. Distilling your view down to only what's currently relevant maintains clarity.
I need to act
Someone else needs to act
An event needs to occur
Control visibility with triggers—time-based (reveal after a date) or event-based (reveal when a condition is met). Hidden items stay out of your way until they matter.
Eliminate
Eliminating an item removes it permanently from the canvas. Whether you complete it or simply delete it—both are equally valid. The goal is removal.
Periodic Review
Conduct a regular audit of all items on your canvas. Weekly works well. The point is to ensure nothing hangs around cluttering up your mental space. When reviewing, justify each item's continued existence—the older it is, the more justification it needs.
Free Your Mind
Nix It is not a system for doing more. It's a system for holding less and doing better. It's built on the belief that the more you hold onto, the less time, energy, and focus you have to do what matters.
Too often we hold onto things out of habit or fear of failure. We build systems to help us manage more and more, exacerbating the problem. But too much of what we hold onto is of no real consequence and crowds out what is important.
Seek to eliminate this noise and unburden your mind.
May you be free.
Nix It can be practiced with any tools you already use—a notebook, a whiteboard, or your existing apps.
If you'd like a dedicated tool, we built an app designed around these principles—connecting your email, managing your canvas, and helping you eliminate with confidence.
Try the App