I made a pact with myself a few weeks ago that I would leave a lot of time and space in my schedule during the rest of this year.  As a consequence, I’ve been saying “no” to most meetings, volunteer activities, networking events, and other obligations.  I like to stay busy, but in October I realized that my schedule was so full that I wasn’t being productive.  I was just running from one obligation to another.  I was not having fun.  And, I was under a lot of stress.

The past few weeks of saying “no” have been less stressful and more productive.  And, I’ve been able to say “yes” to a couple of unexpected business opportunities that presented themselves.  Saying “no” to requests and demands on my time that do not contribute to the quality of my life and achievement of my goals has created space for new, better things to enter. Of course, I still have to carefully consider each thing I say “yes” to.  If I don’t, I’ll be right back to where I was in October.

With the holiday season fast approaching, be careful what you say “yes” to.  Here is an exercise that might help to make my point:

Imagine your arms are completely full of stuff that you must carrry from room to room in your house.  You are straining and juggling constantly to keep from dropping something.  If someone offered you something that you really wanted, you wouldn’t be able to grab it without letting go of everything else.   Go ahead, drop everything and feel the relief.  Now, pick up only those things that you love and those things that serve you best.  Leave plently of room so that when that thing you really want shows up, you can grab it.  Enjoy!