The Yes Curse

23 May The Yes Curse

Some days I think to myself, How did I get to a point where there are so many more things on my to do list than lines on the page?  It’s because I say ‘yes’, often substituted with ‘okay’, too often and don’t say ‘no’ enough.  It starts when I feel there’s a bit of down time (sometimes even when there’s not) or when the request sounds quite fun to get involved in.  It is also because I hate disappointing people. The problem is, the down time quickly becomes a state of chaos and all the fun is lost because the task becomes just another thing to think about and get done.  I end up compromising the time and energy for what really matters because I’m not being assertive when I should be.  It’s the Yes Curse.

I know I’m not the only one who succumbs to this curse – committing to things I shouldn’t be, squeezing every last drop of energy out of myself to tackle all the things I said I would.  The eventuality is that we reach a point where balls start cascading southwards and our output is less than optimal because there is just too much.  I’m quite sure that many can identify.

On the other side of the spectrum is a situation that results in a state of demotivation and boredom.  A place where we are not stimulated enough and not challenged enough.  A situation in which we lose the ambition to do things better or in more effective or efficient ways because our ‘comfort zone’ slowly starts eroding our enthusiasm to try new things and to set goals which improve us personally and professionally.

The trick is to find the balance.  An equilibrium where we are feeling challenged but not lost in a world of clutter that is totally out of control.  When we feel we are growing and learning but not in the danger zone.  This comes with time and probably changes as we move through different phases of our lives.  It comes when we open our hearts to God’s plan for us and start figuring out what our lives are about and where we need to be making an impact.  It comes from a place of being confident in our purpose and clear about what our priorities are, to say ‘no’ when we need to.  This place gives us the opportunity to add value where our input is needed the most and to feel the contentment of investing ourselves in something so much greater than we can ever imagine.