Many of us manage our time and work by saying yes to everything and then scrambling to complete it.
Maybe it’s because we think we have to. Maybe it’s the nature of the job. Maybe it’s how we were raised. Maybe it’s because we don’t know any other way.
What would you do if you knew you only had one more hour, day, or week to live?
How about if you knew you had all the time in the world?
What would happen if someone said you can only say yes to three things and no to everything else? Or one? Or Five?
If you supervise people, same question? What would you prioritize if you only had three slots to fill?
Don’t let the illusion of “available time” be the “sorting hat” for allocating your time, energy, and attention.
There are better ways.
In the words of Derek Sivers, why not “Hell Yes, or No”?