Lately I’ve been thinking more about being deliberate with how I spend my time.

Considering I do not have full liberty to do what I wish with a large portion of my time I’ve been asking myself “What is a valuable use of my time?”.

The late Steve Jobs once said: “Focus is about saying no.”

Saying no is something I’m not very good at right now.

Because my nature is to please people and feel like saying no to their proposal will 1) disappoint them 2) give the impression that I don’t want to spend time with them.

When the reality is I likely love them a lot but would like to prioritize other things.

Here’s a universal script to assure your friends that you do not indeed hate them, but simply need to prioritize other things. (note: consider that if someone doesn’t respect your prioritize they might not be a friend.)

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Hey [name],
Thanks for your invitation.
I’m flattered that you’d like to have me.
I need to say “no,” because ___.
But I would love to support you in a different way.
[Offer an alternative form of support here]
Thank you for being such a wonderful ___. I am honored to be part of your world.
[A few closing words of encouragement, if you’d like]
[Your name here]

Warren Buffett, said, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.”

It’s a goal of mine to say “no” three times this week to things that do not align with my values. Here’s to more “no’s”!