Recently, I did something that would have been nearly impossible 10 years ago… I stopped reading a book before it was completed.
I understand how ridiculous that sounds, but the truth is that for much of my adult life I never put a book down until it was completed – no matter how terrible the content.
Quitting is extremely difficulty for overachievers because we’re always overcommitted and can’t imagine not following through on a task.
We fail to understand that we can’t do everything. Every “yes” is a “no” to something else.
As soon as I recognized (and internalized) this simple truth, I looked at every commitment I’d made in my life, prioritized this list, and then carefully backed out of some obligations.
It was scary at first, but it resulted in 3 benefits that have changed my life for the better:
- I place a much higher value on my time.
- I’m far better at the limited commitments I do make.
- I find it much easier to say “no” to great opportunities that I used to jam into my calendar.
“If everything is important, then nothing is.” — Patrick Lencioni
—CJ
