On the Solo forum a user posted a meme that said “The best advice I ever received was…Decide what kind of life you want and then say no to everything that isn’t that.”
Like many memes, it sounded wise.
I did this to some extent throughout my life. In school, I wanted to be a top academic superstar, so I prioritized school and learning over athletics, art, and social activities. At work, I despised politics and gossiping, so I focused instead on team building, sales and overachieving.
Sometime in my 40s, my attitude toward life shifted profoundly. I had attained a bit of financial security for the first time in my adult life. I was confident in my sales ability and my management skills. I was also quite aware of my strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. I started saying “no” at work.
Then I started saying “no” outside of work.
Paradoxically, doing this opened up more opportunities for career growth, for personal satisfaction, for exploring different activities and embarking on adventures.
I didn’t say it as cleverly as the meme posted on the solo forum. Then again, I’m not a meme guy. I’ve said “no” to them too.