Last week, I thought I was running out of space on my NAS (Network Attached Storage, basically my central storage of hard drives at home). The warning lights were flashing, the drives looked full, and my brain immediately shifted into problem-solving mode.

I started mapping out backup tiers, sync rules, and cleanup scripts. I even looked at buying another 16TB drive I didn’t really need.

After an hour of overthinking and mapping, I noticed something ridiculous. Both recycle bins—local and network—were full.

I clicked [[ Empty Recycle Bin ]] 🖱️

Eight terabytes of space instantly came back.

Eight. Terabytes.

I wasted all that time planning fancy fixes for a problem that didn’t actually exist. I skipped the simplest step because it didn’t feel clever enough.

Automation makes a lot of us fall into this trap. When something breaks or slows down, we jump straight to complex systems and fancy solutions. We assume the fix has to be technical or advanced, but most of the time the biggest leverage comes from the smallest move.

Right after that “duh” moment I set up a tiny automation that empties those bins every week. It took five minutes to create and it prevents the same issue from ever happening again.

That’s what real automation is about: the smallest effort with the biggest effect.

If your workflows feel heavy or bloated, don’t start with something complex. Start with your version of the recycle bin: the obvious, overlooked fix that seems to simple to be right.

This is exactly what I help creators and small teams find in my Automation Wizard Audit — a one on one session where I find your biggest automation leverage points and what to simplify, systemize, or scrap entirely.

👉 Book your Automation Wizard Audit Call​

Sometimes the smartest automation starts with one click: Empty Recycle Bin.

Andrew “One-Click Fixer” Molloy