The Only Two Letter Word You Need To Create More Work
Be able to recognise that pleasing everyone, is a sure way to feel unfulfilled. How?
- You lose focus on the current goal
- Energy has been spent on someone else
- That’s time you’re not able to get back
“You interested to do this thing for me?”
“Sure”
“Hey you free this weekend to go out?”
“Yeah, maybe”
“I have a party this weekend, come join!”
“I guess I can go, but only for a few hours”
So what was the tone of those replies? They were on the verge of a yes, or a maybe, almost uninterested. The person based on those answers didn’t really have time to go, but they replied with a sure thing and a “I can probably make time” to keep the hopes up for the other person.
That was me.
I set aside time for others when I knew I had important work to be doing. The type of work that will propel me to opportunities, new skills and a step closer to my goals. But I placed my goals in the pending bag. Hey goals, I have to do this thing for someone because I want to make a good impression and not let them down, I’ll come back to you next week.
So what does this inevitably do?
Your goals are left hanging. Your priorities change. You’re no longer working towards a better future for yourself, instead you’re putting someone else’s future in front of your own.
Making time to do things you really don’t want to do, is taking time away from the things that needs doing.
The reality—you have to be selfish at times to live the future you want.
I was pretty hesitant to post this because I know people prioritise different things and have different values.
If anything, I say start from a place of values.
Parties, vacations, night outs are not a thing I do.
I’m not saying never go to a party. The question is, how many parties and nights out have helped you with moving towards your goals?
I’m speaking to my past self. When I sound harsh, it’s because I wish I had told this to my past-self so I wouldn’t be scrambling with trying to do work that should have been done yesteryear.
If you are dead serious about what you want to achieve, it takes a two letter word to make more time to work on your craft.
No.
Create more time for yourself by using your ‘no’ as a tool. But be mindful and still respectful of the other person. I don’t want you to takeaway from this post and start denying every request you encounter. That’s not what I’m advocating.
I want you to stay focused on what’s really important to you. Even if that means going on holiday for a week. Because you probably said no to other things, so you can go on this holiday right? No to the day job, no to a meeting, to a favour.
Whatever you pick to do right now is you saying, this is important to me.
So do the things that are important to you.
Three Actions You Can Take Right Now
- If you learned to say no, be more selfish.
- Did you finish the task I suggested you pick to complete last week? If not, this is your chance to finish it now.
- I learned this recently from @aarondowd he calls “The Magic of 20 Minutes”. I’m sure you have a spare 20 minutes in your day? Break a large, overwhelming task into smaller tasks. Small progress amounts to great rewards.