When you say yes to one thing, you are saying no to another. -Peter Mallouk from his Tim Ferriss podcast.

By having a list of basic principles or things that you prioritize over others, when someone asks you to do something, you can say no with a bit of confidence. If the person was truly a good person, they would understand. This was how Peter Mallouk wrapped up his conversation with Tim Ferriss, and I think it really does ring true. It also correlates with Warren Buffet saying no basically 99% of the time.

This is an area I can truly learn from.

In my current position, I am often asked to help things, translation, a bit of promotion, etc. but these things may not line up completely with my long-term goals. That’s probably why I’ve been thinking more and more of stopping everything, having a blank slate, and starting anew. Financially, it’s fine for me to do that, but I do have other responsibilities that mean I shouldn’t, at least not without a concrete plan.

In the meantime, I guess I will continue with my projects, but will keep in mind that I have the ability to say no. I have already said no to a few things anyway, I guess I just have to do that on a larger scale.

Maybe it’s time to read 7 habits again…