I have been living in the US for almost ten years, 6 of which I lived in San Francisco.
I remember when I came fresh out of Boulder, Colorado, and sought advice from mentors in the city. A particular coffee I had with my friend Shane Steele comes as a fond memory.
She said: in the early days, be default to yes. I blogged about it at the time. That strategy turned out to be valuable in the early days.
Thank you, Shane.
I ended up meeting a lot of people, and that generated a positive flow of opportunity.
Default to yes is no longer valid when you start being successful.
Then, you must focus on and be selective.
I like the "No or Hell Yes" framework, popularized by Tim Ferris.
Every day, I get at least 20 people wanting a favor, "15-minutes", a coffee to pick my brain.
If you let other people take your time away, you will die a busy, unhappy person.
Command respect for your time — Double-Opt in people.
Once you start being successful, it is either “Hell Yes or No.”
Start saying No more often and you will live in peace.
Essentialism is a beautiful book on this topic.
That said, always take risks, leave room for the unexpected, and don't try to over-plan your life. Sometimes, randomness is good.
If you are busy, you are not in control of your life.
It is as simple as that.
Acting slowly and steady upon your dreams and resolutions is the only thing that matters. Never leave inside your mind thoughts that don't evolve into action.
Lessons from a prince in renaissance Italy that are still relevant today. The Prince is one of these books that I recommend every founder ought to read.
Judgement fuels itself from fear. Understand that when you conquer awareness you develop discernment. Discernment is what puts you in a higher frequency.
