Know What Feels Better Than Saying Yes?

Saying no.

For years, I’ve been saying yes to everything. Partly because of FOMO, partly because, I mean, why not?

I’ll give you a number of reasons to say yes, but even more to say no. We already juggle so much in our lives that leaving one thing, one offer, one activity, one campaign by the wayside, really isn’t a big deal. It won’t - and shouldn’t - make/break your day or week.

I know for myself, I’m a natural people pleaser. And I like to show my competence and my ability to be productive - juggling multiple things at once. You see those spinning plates? Sure, throw another one up there. I’m pretty sure I can manage it.

Can I, though?

These days, my body is giving off signals that it can’t. Just the other day, I literally hit a wall at 1:45 pm. And then next thing I knew, I was crawling into bed and declared to Keith that I was taking a nap. This is like, twice in a week. Even Keith was surprised I think, and thankfully left me alone to sleep. 

I didn’t think I’d be able to nap, but 70 minutes later I woke up, slightly groggy but able to function. I looked outside and saw that daylight was still with us, so I was definitely motivated to get up. I do get affected by seasonal transitions so if I overslept and it was dark outside, I would be in a different mindset.

I was hoping to get a bunch of things done that day but since I took the nap, I burned up a bunch of time. And so I decided to be kind to myself and let it go. There’s always tomorrow and always more stuff to be done. But today, I was going to say NO to all that, while saying yes to my mind, my spirit and my body. 

This doesn’t just apply to napping. I’ve lately been approached by numerous brands wanting to partner up. In the past, I would have said YES to nearly all of them. I mean, how do you say no to a paid partnership? 

But you do. When your body tells you to. Your body is telling you to prioritize because there are only so many hours in the day. And when one has to juggle a full time job along with a creative side gig, you choose your opportunities wisely. 

I’ve said no more times than I can count since the start of the year and it’s only the 12th of January. The way I see it, unless it’s something I’m passionate about in the area of food and wine, travel and design, or something I’m already using, I say no. That’s the great thing about being in control of your own brand. You’re in control. 

And it’s okay to say no.

Be you, be authentic, be choosy. And I choose me.