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How Life is Like A Game of Tetris
I was talking to my friend Jen the other night about how quickly things seem to stack up on my To-Do list and she said, “Yeah, it’s like Tetris”. We stack up blocks, hoping to fit the pieces together just right so we can eliminate a line and free up space for more blocks. Exactly. The problem is that eventually the blocks start coming so fast that you can’t keep up – and then it’s GAME OVER. Recently, I’ve written a good deal about never-ending to-do lists, GeekADD, and time management. And today I want to talk about the word “NO”.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you probably know I have an obsession with Joseph Campbell. Specifically with his ideas on Following Your Bliss. In A Joseph Campbell Companion he says:
The Warrior’s Approach is to say “Yes” to Life. “Yea” to it all.
Now I’ve found over the years that this approach – saying yes to every opportunity in life can have powerfully positive results. The problem is – my time is finite, and opportunities are endless. So after talking with my friend Karen, I’ve devised a new strategy to handle all the amazing possibilities of life.
Not Right Now
Saying “NO” for me is really hard. Especially when I’m rarely presented with an opportunity I don’t instantly love. My friend Hank says he’s “Never met an Idea he didn’t like”. We’re obviously friends for a reason – cause I feel the same way. So, I’m gonna try and ease my way into saying “NO” by starting with “Not Right Now”.
Deciding what to say “Yes” to and what to say “Not Right Now” to is fairly simple – as long as you have a list of priorities to guide you. My current list of priorities looks like this:
- Twilight & Tea Social Media Project & Book
- Peanut Butter Media Client Work & Company Growth in 2010
- ReinventingErica.com Project including Fitness Goals
- Personal Branding
- Travel & Adventure
Let’s try this out. My good friend Julie comes to me with an awesome opportunity to be a part of a panel for an upcoming conference. It’s an INCREDIBLE opportunity – and I’d really love to go. The conference is paying my travel and accommodations, plus a small honorarium. I would be speaking to a group of PR Professionals about Social Media, who would then take my ideas to apply to their client projects. However, I’ve already committed to a client meeting with a potentially huge new client. Since I can’t be in two places at once – what should I do?
As much as I’d like to speak at this conference, it is not related to Travel or Tourism and would not impact my Twilight & Tea Project. So it fails to meet Priority #1. Additionally, since most of the conference attendees already work in PR/Social Media there is a very slim chance that speaking would yield me any additional clients for Peanut Butter Media. So it also fails to met Priority #2. Speaking to this group might get me a few more subscribers to this site – so it could potentially impact my ReinventingErica.com project. So we’ll say it might meet Priority #3. And since speaking to a new audience would give me exposure, and traveling to a new location would be adventurous and fun, both Priorities #4 and #5 would definitely be met.
Unfortunately – I’ve already scheduled a Client Meeting with a potential new client that could lead to increased company exposure, increased access to additional markets, and a significant amount of money for my company. Since this meeting meets Priority #2 head on – it trumps speaking at the conference. So clearly – I must say no to the speaking opportunity.
The Problem of “NO”
But I struggle with the word “NO”. When I say it I feel like I’m closing the door to a potential opportunity. It all comes down to Fear. In this case, The Fear Of Missing Out On Something Better. So instead of saying “NO”, here’s what I would tell Julie.
Julie, I’m afraid that I have a scheduling conflict and that date just doesn’t work for me. However, I know that you hold this conference twice a year, and I’d really like to be considered as a speaker for your next event. Also, if you do any smaller meetings throughout the year I’d love to come speak to your group.
In other words – NOT RIGHT NOW. By consistently honoring my main priorities I will decrease the chance of a GAME OVER, while at the same time LEVELING UP.
If you have trouble with saying “NO”, why not give “NOT RIGHT NOW” a test drive. And be sure and let me know how it works for you 
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Erica OGrady is the CXO of Peanut Butter Media. She is currently HOMELESS while working on a project called Twilight & Tea. Erica is a Writer, Adventurer, Explorer who Still Believes in Santa and Following Your Bliss -- For more information Text ERICAOGRADY to 50500
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Doesn't it feel good to say 'not right now'?
Proud of you!
This post is incredibly timely for me. I have way too much on my plate right now, and I definitely need to adopt your scheme!
@Khartline – I feels AMAZING
@sarahewelch – at the end of the day – it's all about priorities. We can't do it all. We think we can. But we can't.
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