Do you know what frequently stops you from doing what you want and should do? It is simply saying “yes” to things you should say “no” to. Today’s message is not about deciding which activities are consistent with your goals (essential and the subject of another article), but deciding among those activities that lead you to accomplish your goals.
Given our finite time resources, every activity carries an opportunity cost. When we say “yes” to one thing, we are necessarily saying “no” to another. The issue does not lie in easy choices such as reading a personal development book versus watching The Bachelor. The challenge arises when choosing between seemingly worthwhile options and where distractions are disguised as opportunities.
The Random Suggestion. A business person I respect once proposed my food business make meatballs for IKEA because “they give away a lot of them every Saturday.” I began to invest time and emotional energy in strategizing how we could make, package, distribute, and sell furniture store meatballs.
I indulged in the recommendation for a brief period even though it distracted me from acting on one of the five better-suited customer opportunities I previously identified. There was nothing patently unreasonable about my friend’s suggestion; it simply was not sufficiently worthwhile given our other prospects.
The “You Never Know” Option. We have all heard or been part of the story of finding a valuable connection or customer in an unlikely place. For example, I attended a culinary school competition and met a corporate chef from a potential customer. While my attendance yielded a suitable connection, I could have accomplished more by investing the three hours in developing my professional network or attempting to contact a targeted prospect.
Using the example of an unexpected, fortuitous connection as justification, you could attend every conceivable networking meeting in your city/industry. However, mere possibility is not the proper decision-making standard.
Despite the possibility of instant riches, you do not buy lottery tickets. Nor do you run to the casino to pull the handle of the big slot machine at the entrance because one lucky person wins a million dollars each year. You don’t because you decided you have higher probability options to obtain funds.
Rather than accepting every phone call or meeting request because “you never know,” proactively filter those opportunities and focus on the ones you know offer the greatest likelihood of success. Worried about missing out on the “winning lottery ticket” connection at the random event? By keeping an open eye and mind wherever you are, those serendipitous meetings will still occur.
Most importantly, you greatly increase the probability of making successful connections or achieving your goals by thoughtfully selecting your highest value propositions and discarding the remainder. Once selected, maintain your conviction, and avoid the intrusions of marginal opportunities and well-intentioned but less informed suggestions.
If you struggle with these decisions, ask yourself, “If I say “yes” to this, what am I saying “no” to?” The answer directs you toward your best options.
The title of this article is a statement I frequently use during mentoring sessions. It acknowledges an option has value though insufficient to pursue. Remind yourself, “Not everything of value is worth doing.”
