Here’s a perspective shift that might melt your brain: When you say “yes” to something, you say “no” to EVERYTHING else. But when you say “no” to something, you’ve only eliminated one possibility.

(This is, of course, assuming you are bound to the same 24-hour day as the rest of us and have to allocate chunks of time you will never ever get back to specific pursuits. If you have transcended time and space, feel free to disregard.)

The word “yes” is so often associated with opportunity, and the word “no” with a closed door, and as a result I fear we say “yes” to a great many things that are actually sabotaging our ability to do our most valuable work simply because it can be uncomfortable to say “no.” Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with projects that aren’t the best use of your time, muttering “why did I say yes to this?!” Yeah, you get it.

What would be different about your days and weeks if you got really clear about your most valuable work and started saying “no” to the things that didn’t have a strategic impact on your ability to accomplish it?

(If you are feeling the effects of saying “yes” a few time too many, I’d love to chat with you about how I can help you waste less of your time, energy, and focus on things you shouldn’t be doing.)