The way to do your best work is to be clear what isn't

Meetings, calls, emails, dinner, school work, homework, laundry, chores, marriage, friendships, family. The list of stuff for everyone else is so long that it's easy to lose sight of who you are and who you're trying to be. You've probably been told that you need to say "no" more, but having to say "no" all the time is just as exhausting as having to "yes".

So what's the alternative?

How about never?

There is a lot of clarity in never. It’s a hard no. A single decision made once, instead of being a "no" on repeat. It feels clean and empowering. It’s about who we are and who we are not. Full stop.

Hollywood heartthrob slash amazing author, Matthew McConaughey once said that too many options will make tyrants of us all and that to find who we are, we first must eliminate who we are not. I like that.

"Eliminate who you are not first and you will find yourself where you need to be" - Matthew McConaughey

It's easier to never work late than it is to decide whether you will or won't every day. If you never work late, you have more space for what brings you joy and the great things you want to do with your life.

When most of us say no we really mean not today, not right now, or that Netflix is simply more appealing tonight. These aren’t final decisions, they're spur-of-the-moment choices and we're just as likely to say "yes" as we are "no" and then beat ourselves up about it.

Never is a boundary, yes and no is a fence we can jump back and forth over. If you want to be or do your best, be clear on what you never do.

Until next time,

Julia