“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”— Steve Jobs
“Space I can recover. Time, never.” — Napoleon
Time is limited.
I’ve learned that once you’ve picked a path, every “yes” you say to a new opportunity means you’ll have less time for other things. You have to know what’s truly important to you. Marcus Aurelius once wrote about the soul being like a light from inside:
“A person’s soul may be compared to a transparent ball which is lit from the inside with its own light. This flame is not only the source of all light and truth, but it illuminates everything around you.”
I want you to think hard and be honest about when your own inner light shines brightest. Is it when you’re building something or learning a subject you love? These are the things you should save your “yeses” for.
Investing your time on meaningful relationships and growing as a person I feel are the real gifts of life. They compound over time. But in order to experience these things to the fullest, setting boundaries and learning how to say “no” is a skill you’ll need to practice your whole life. Derek Sivers has a great rule for this:
“If you feel anything less than ‘hell yeah!’ about something, say no. We say yes too often. By saying no to almost everything, you leave space and time in your life to throw yourself completely into the few things that matter most.”
It’s the same way in your work. Paul Graham says:
“The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.”
So, before you commit to anything in your personal or professional life, just ask yourself: is my inner light saying “hell yeah” to this?