When thinking about how to improve something, most people instinctively focus on what can be added or changed. You want to improve your life, so you ask, “What new habits can I add?” You want to improve your business, so you ask, “What processes need to be changed or adopted?” You want to be smarter, so you ask, “What new knowledge can I acquire?” You want to grow in your faith, so you ask, “What good deeds or disciplines must I perform?” You want to improve your health so you ask, “What new diet or exercise routine can I try?” But one important rule of thumb that I’ve come to rely on is that most complex problems are easier to solve backward. Instead of asking what can be added or changed to bring about improvement, start by looking to see what can be removed or avoided. In theology and philosophy, …