No Filler, Part II: Less Is More
- trueproducer
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
As I look into this next chapter of my life, I keep coming back to the same phrase:
No Filler.
The more I think about it, the more I realize this chapter isn't just about music. It isn't just about albums. It isn't just about projects.
It's about life.
It's about understanding that there is only so much energy, attention, focus, and drive that one person can have at a given time.
And if you spread yourself too thin, you end up creating filler.
You end up creating things that exist simply because they're there, not because they deserve to be there.
That's what I've been thinking about lately.
One thing I've learned as I've gotten older is that nobody is coming to save me.
That sounds harsh.
Maybe even pessimistic.
But I don't mean it in a negative way.
What I mean is that most people are trying to save themselves.
Most people are overwhelmed.
Most people are worried about their own finances, their own careers, their own relationships, their own families, their own mental health, and their own futures.
So expecting people to constantly help you, rescue you, motivate you, or carry you through life is unrealistic.
They have their own lives.
They have their own responsibilities.
They have their own battles.
And once I accepted that, something became easier.
I stopped expecting people to carry weight that was never theirs to carry.
I stopped expecting people to understand every struggle.
I stopped expecting people to prioritize my goals the way I prioritize them.
Because honestly, why would they?
Those are my goals.
My responsibilities.
My future.
And maybe that realization is part of what this chapter is really about.
Taking ownership.
Taking responsibility.
And reducing unnecessary expectations.
Recently, I was looking at comments about Latto's album Big Mama.
One comment really stood out to me.
The person said:
"Honestly, I wanted to like this more, but there's quite a bit of filler on here."
Such a simple comment.
A tiny comment.
One sentence.
But sometimes the smallest comments hit the hardest.
Because that comment wasn't really about an album to me.
It became a metaphor.
The moment I read the word "filler," I started thinking about my own life.
What is filler?
Filler is when something exists but doesn't truly contribute.
Filler is when quantity starts replacing quality.
Filler is when you're adding more simply because you can.
And that's when I started asking myself a difficult question:
How much filler do I have in my life?
Because when I think about it, I've spent years trying to do everything.
Research.
School.
Music.
Organizations.
Books.
Apps.
Exams.
Projects.
Ideas.
Future plans.
Goals stacked on top of goals stacked on top of goals.
And maybe that's part of the problem.
Maybe the issue isn't that I'm not working hard enough.
Maybe the issue is that I'm trying to work on too many things at once.
The older I get, the more I realize that doing more isn't always better.
Sometimes doing less allows you to do something exceptionally well.
Take music for example.
A lot of artists release huge albums now.
Eighteen tracks.
Twenty tracks.
Twenty-five tracks.
An hour long.
An hour and twenty minutes long.
And sometimes when you're listening, you can tell exactly what happened.
The artist had enough material for eight amazing songs.
But instead of giving you eight amazing songs, they gave you twenty songs.
And now the amazing songs are buried underneath filler.
The listener gets tired.
The impact gets diluted.
The focus disappears.
The quality becomes harder to appreciate.
And I think life works the same way.
If you have ten major goals happening simultaneously, none of them get your full attention.
None of them receive your best effort.
None of them receive your full energy.
And eventually you become overwhelmed.
Not because you're weak.
Not because you're lazy.
But because you're human.
Human beings have limits.
And I think I've spent a lot of my life pretending I don't.
That's why this chapter is called No Filler.
No filler projects.
No filler commitments.
No filler relationships.
No filler distractions.
No filler responsibilities.
No filler expectations.
If something doesn't deserve my energy, it shouldn't receive it.
Simple.
And another comment about that album made me think even deeper.
Someone said:
"It started off quite strong, but toward the end it became dull. Not bad. Just dull. I wish it had more energy and drive."
That comment stuck with me too.
Because if I'm being honest, that's how I feel about myself right now.
Not bad.
Just tired.
Not failing.
Just exhausted.
Not hopeless.
Just running low on energy.
The scary thing about adulthood isn't always failure.
Sometimes it's dullness.
Sometimes it's losing the spark.
Sometimes it's waking up and realizing you're going through the motions.
That's what scares me.
Because I remember being younger.
Everything felt exciting.
Every project felt exciting.
Every idea felt exciting.
Every possibility felt exciting.
Now?
Things feel heavier.
Responsibilities are bigger.
Consequences are bigger.
The stakes are higher.
And sometimes I catch myself feeling disconnected from the excitement I used to have.
That's part of why this chapter matters so much.
Because No Filler isn't just about doing less.
It's also about protecting energy.
Protecting enthusiasm.
Protecting excitement.
Protecting drive.
Doing fewer things so that the things you do still feel alive.
That's the goal.
Because I don't want my life to become dull.
I don't want to spend every day simply checking boxes.
I don't want to become somebody who survives instead of somebody who lives.
And honestly, that's been difficult lately.
I have a comprehensive exam coming up.
I'm about to turn twenty-eight.
Research responsibilities are growing.
Career responsibilities are growing.
Life responsibilities are growing.
Everything feels heavier.
And if I'm being completely honest, I think I'm more overwhelmed than I admit.
Maybe even more depressed than I admit.
The medication helps.
It really does.
It helps smooth out some of the emotional extremes.
It helps reduce some of the anxiety.
It helps me feel more stable.
But stability doesn't automatically solve everything.
Sometimes stability just gives you enough space to notice the things that still hurt.
The exhaustion.
The uncertainty.
The loneliness.
The disappointment.
The pressure.
Sometimes I find myself talking positively about my life.
Talking about accomplishments.
Talking about goals.
Talking about plans.
And all of those things are real.
I'm grateful for them.
But underneath all of that, there's also a version of me that is tired.
A version of me that's carrying more weight than people realize.
A version of me that wishes things felt easier.
A version of me that wishes the future felt clearer.
But maybe that's exactly why this chapter matters.
Because No Filler isn't about perfection.
It's about clarity.
It's about removing everything that doesn't belong.
It's about focusing on what truly matters.
It's about accepting limits.
It's about protecting energy.
It's about understanding that less is not failure.
Less can actually be excellence.
Less can be focus.
Less can be quality.
Less can be peace.
And right now, peace sounds a lot more valuable than productivity.
So that's where I am.
Twenty-eight is approaching.
The comprehensive exam is approaching.
Research is evolving.
Life is changing.
And this new chapter has a name.
No Filler.
Do less.
Do it better.
Protect the energy.
And make sure the things that remain are worth giving your life to.
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