Life is full of trade-offs. And unlike the message of the Coke Zero “And?” commercials, we often do have to choose one thing at the expense of another.
This is especially when it comes to our time. When we say ‘Yes’ to one thing, we’re essentially saying ‘No’ to something else. We may not think of it like this, but that doesn’t change the reality of the limited nature of our time.
Whether we choose to spend our time with our family and friends, or working, or volunteering, or studying, or in leisure or rest—whatever we choose—we only have a set number of hours every day at our disposal. And ultimately, we’re going to use every single minute of the day doing something—the question is not if our time will be used, but how.
So since we’re already spending every moment doing something—even if that something is relaxing and doing nothing—every time we say ‘Yes’ to something that takes time, something else is going to have to be dropped in order to make space for this new commitment. We’re effectively saying ‘No’ to something else.
And this isn’t a bad thing. But it is important to be aware of this dynamic, because it will help us better understand the implications of what we commit to. If we can identify what will have to be dropped in order to make space for a new commitment—i.e. for us to say ‘Yes’—we’ll be in a better position to weigh the value of the two, and make a decision based on our values.
Realizing that every time we say ‘Yes,’ we’re also saying ‘No,’ can ultimately help us determine if ‘Yes’ is really the answer we want to give.