When I’m working on a story or article, I find it useful to keep a separate “scrap” document. When I change directions and need to remove something from what I’ve already written, but I like it too much to kill it outright, I cut-and-paste it over to my scrap. That way I feel like I’m saving for good idea or nice turn of phrase “for later” (less psychologically painful), even though odds are I’ll never revisit it.