From Default to Yes to Hell No

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Default to yes is no longer valid when you start being successful.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.