Disciplined
“If success is a catalyst for failure because it leads to the ‘undisciplined pursuit of more,’ then one simple antidote is the disciplined pursuit of less. Not just haphazardly saying no, but purposefully, deliberately, and strategically eliminating the nonessentials.”
- Greg McKeown
I recently had a meeting with a man who attended a Lifeplan retreat. A beautiful man with a big heart and a mission that got clarified and elevated through his experience at Lifeplan. God had wildly confirmed his purpose and he was feeling the invitation to take this work deeper, wider, and dramatically increase the impact of what he had given his heart to for 20 years.
He needs others to make this happen. While God has given him the vision and the heart for completing the mission and the work is clearly his divine assignment, he will need other stakeholders to make it happen. He was enthusiastic and passionate about the mission. It was easy to get excited and interested in what he was sharing.
And then he asked the question I typically get in these kinds of meetings. He wanted to know if this was the kind of thing where I could provide my experience and gifting.
The answer was a clear and simple, “No”.
I am so clear at what God has me saying “yes” to in this season of my life that saying “no” has become much easier. As Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, says, I have gone pro at saying “no”.
I celebrated and affirmed what God was clearly calling him to accomplish. We talked about the process of getting the right shareholders around the table with him. We even discussed what the initial meeting might look like with these shareholders. We strategized about some next steps coming out of that initial meeting. I even offered to have coffee with him from time to time to give him support, clarity, and offer some advice.
I am already a big fan of his and believe that what he is being called to do is very important. I want to see it happen, but I am very clear on what God is calling me to and it has become very easy for me to put boundaries on where I am committing my time.
And as they say, if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll just make you busy.
Consider
Are you clear on what you are supposed to be saying “yes” to?
What are the things you are saying “yes” to that you shouldn’t be?
How much would it simplify your life to become better at saying “no”?