When we want to improve life, we think of adding things–new goals, efforts and commitments. Removing things to improve life is often overlooked.
Every Yes Implies a No
- Since time is a fixed quantity, everything you say yes to implies a no to something else and vice versa
- Saying yes subtly squeezes everything else, but rarely in ways we can easily perceive
- When saying no, what is left over is enriched, but this additional space is often neglected
Overwhelmed with Easy
- Committing to doing something you know will be hard paradoxically, often results in an easier time than opting for something that seems easy
- When you take on a hard goal, you naturally make room for it
- A goal that pretends to be easy doesn’t require adjustments, so they’re rarely made
- Easy problems fill up lives, leaving little room for what really matters
“No” or “Not Right Now”
- Saying “no” to a particular pursuit can be hard, but saying “not right now” works just as well
- This prevents the pursuit from taking up time while leaving open the possibility of change later
- It keeps your schedule sane without closing the door on it altogether
Only Home-Run Projects
- Only take on “home-run” projects
- If something doesn’t have a significant and near-certain upside or a potentially enormous and uncertain upside, it probably isn’t worth considering
- Don’t work on any project if it has the potential to increase revenue by at least ten per cent
