Life is too short for bad versions of Layla

I used to be a yes-man.

• I would take low paying music gigs with terrible musicians.

• I would accept electronics that weren’t working, telling people I could fix them (even though I didn’t really have the time).

• I would take all of the bad assignments at work that would result in long hours and sleeping under my desk.

And all I got for it was time away from better opportunities and my family.

Definitely not worth it.

To hell with saying yes to everything.

Life is too short for that garbage.

Your time is limited and valuable. Arguably the most valuable resource you have control over.

Unfortunately, I didn’t come to this conclusion by my own wits.

I was forced into it.

When I was 27, I was promoted into a position where I was the direct supervisor of ~40 people.

Suddenly, I was effectively baby-sitting a bunch of 40-50 year olds. And you can’t say yes to everything.

I had to learn how to look someone in the eye and say no. It’s tough. But necessary.

And once you rip off the bandaid, it gets easier each time.

But once you learn that you can say no, you have to learn when to say it.

So, I started thinking in terms of decision razors.

If you aren’t familiar, a decision razor is a guiding principle or rule of thumb that simplifies decision-making by eliminating unlikely explanations or unnecessary actions.

The term originates from philosophy, where it is used to describe principles that help in making decisions by "shaving off" unnecessary complexity.

There are two I use for knowing when to say no:

1. If you can’t decide, the answer is no.

2. Say no more than yes.

Now, I have a big goal, a direction, and set of daily tactics to get me closer towards my dream life.

Anything that doesn’t match that trajectory is a hard no for me, bro.

This is how I’m slowly buying my time back, and making up for lost time.

Be way more picky about the stuff you say yes to.

Cheers,

Swanagan

P.S., if you are struggling with figuring out what to write about, I built a quiz for you! Find it here.