I Just Say “No”
How I Reignited My Creativity
Recently, I was struggling to get into that creative zone that helps me to conjure my unconventional ideas. Physically, I felt the same. But, mentally, I did not feel like the creative assassin who is ready to battle in the war room of innovative thinking. I investigated and did some introspection and noticed one big difference.
My routine became more complex because I was saying yes to everything.
I discovered my creativity was being slaughtered by my own tongue. With much of my time spent managing people, clients, and administrative tasks related to the work, I did not have any left to do deep work.
I was the cause of my slow drift away from the shore of my fantasy island.
Can you relate?
You can’t do deep work if you keep saying yes to the shallow distractions. When I say, “deep work”, I am referring to the type of work that puts your mind in the state experts call theta. It is that frame of mind you reach when you are the most relaxed and creative.
So, the question I asked myself, “What can I do to put myself in the creative end zone and score big ideas?”
I had to say no.
No to the time wasters, dream killers, small thinkers, and non-risk-takers. I am talking about denying non-value-added people and things access to my life.
I had to blurt out “No!” with the bombastic disrespect of a 2-year-old kid.
No longer will I let my Type A tendencies hold me hostage to my own lies of feeling validated by doing more stuff. So, I stop putting more things on my plate than I needed.
I wish I could walk on water like Jesus did when He was trying to get away from the crowd. But I can’t, so I say, “No” because it does not take a miracle to figure out who and what is wasting my time.
Now, I only need to focus on the main thing and not everything. I only do those things that give me the highest reward and greatest return.
