What Deserves Your Yes
What if the reason you feel you don’t have enough time isn’t that you need more time, but that you are saying yes to too many things?
As we move into the final months of the year, it’s easy to look ahead and ask, “How am I going to fit all of this in?” Work, family, commitments we’ve already made, and the holidays are all competing for the same limited resources—our time, attention, and energy.
Maybe there’s a different question to ask: What doesn’t need to be on my plate right now?
I recently had to ask myself that question. Over the past several months, I’ve taught a series of leadership classes, and with each one, attendance continued to grow. When I was asked to continue, part of me wanted to say yes. We had momentum. I loved the work and knew I could do it.
But when I looked at everything I had already said yes to—serving my coaching clients exceptionally well, completing the final stage of my PCC training, preparing for my exam, and spending time with my family during the holidays—I had to be honest about what another yes would require.
Another series would mean 10–15 hours a week spent thinking, preparing, promoting, communicating, and teaching. Could I find those hours? Probably. But could I add them and still give my best to the things I had already decided mattered most? That was a different question.
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it belongs on your plate this season.
Years ago, a mentor taught me that when we say yes to everything, we can end up three inches deep in our lives instead of three miles deep in what matters most. And when a storm of life comes—and eventually one does—being deeply rooted matters.
This time, I chose not to continue the series. Not because it wasn’t a good opportunity, but because saying yes to something good can sometimes take us away from something that matters more.
If your plate feels full, write down everything you’re carrying and look at it honestly. Ask yourself: Does this need to be done? Does it need to be done by me? Does it need to be done right now?
Then look at your values. Some of mine are excellence, integrity, reliability, and growth, and I use them to guide my decisions. If I say yes to this, can I still operate with excellence? Can I
remain reliable in the commitments I’ve already made? Does this keep me in integrity with myself? Does it support the growth that matters to me in this season?
Your values may be completely different. What matters is knowing what they are and allowing them to guide how you make decisions.
Does what you’re saying yes to reflect what you say matters most?
I’ve included my Understanding Trade-Offs worksheet to help you align your responsibilities with the resources you actually have—your time, energy, money, and community. As you work through it, you may discover something you can delegate, something that can be done differently, or something that simply doesn’t need your time and attention this season.
Click here to download the Understanding Trade-Offs worksheet.
Sometimes we don’t need to figure out how to fit one more thing in. We need to be more intentional about what we say yes to.
Love & Big Belief,
Terri
If you’re looking ahead to the next few months and realizing you want space to reflect on what matters most, what belongs on your plate, and where you want to focus your time and energy, I’d love to partner with you.
Schedule a Coaching Experience with me, and let’s make space for the conversation you may not be giving yourself time to have.
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