This year 2017 has been a meaningful transformation in my life. I have learnt that the transformation came from saying “No” to many things. I always thought that showing up and saying “Yes” will open many windows of opportunities. But hey, we don’t need all the opportunities, we just need 1 or 2 best ones for us.

For the past few months, I have said “No” to a few great business offers from brilliant people. I might regret not taking them in the future, but I am willing to take the risk to decline. I chose to believe in my own principles. After I weigh the pain and the gain, if it is fair and good for myself, I will take it. If it is not, I won’t.

1. Our time is limited.

Our time in this life is limited, we need to choose carefully what we want to do next, then do our best. Laser focus. Often, we are caught up with so many things that we can’t do our best in 1 or 2 things. That’s just sad. We should have full control of our own lives. It is a gift from God that we need to value most.

2. Look inside, not around.

Our vision sometimes get blurred by what people do, what people recommend, or what people show. However, deep inside, we already know what we truly like and want to do. Our experience will help us understand what we really want and like. What did we do continuously and consistently? That is a great clue.

3. Decide for yourself.

Never say “Yes” to make someone else happy, or you say it so that you don’t feel bad for someone else. That’s wrong. We need to understand that everyone is responsible for themselves. We are responsible for our own happiness, if we lost it, it’s our own fault. We have to be the captain of our lives.

4. Be rational, not just passionate.

We have to be really rational in choosing what to pursue. Passion is never enough. People who told you that passion is everything, just got lucky. In life, some things are more rewarding and meaningful than others, we have to embrace that. By embracing that, we will know what is the best that we can do now and in the future. Don’t say something like “Cleaning the toilet is also a job that is meaningful” just because you don’t want to feel bad saying negative words. That is irrational. Life is not fair, get over it. Some investments are really good, some are really bad. Embrace the uncertainty, we need to be willing to take rational calculated risks.

5.  If is not “Hell Yes!”, just say “No”.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”- Warren Buffett

This is a very valuable insight. It turns out that for the aim to being the best, one has to be able to say “No” to almost everything in his life. There are just so much noise, it blurs our vision. We need crystal-clear clarity to be able to charge forward and grow. One who hesitates will grow slower. Clarity is achieved by knowing what we do really well.

Reach me: vincent.huberta@gmail.com