As a student, it can be easy to work up quite a momentum of saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way. After all, you want to make the most of your time and build your resume, right? How many times have you heard or said, “I don’t really have the time for it, but it’ll add another line to the resume!”
The thing is: not all opportunities are created equal.
As a result, the power of “I am unable to take on more at the moment” is priceless in weeding out the commitments that will drain your time without adding much to you or your career. The reduced notifications alone are more than a reason to set boundaries.
Focus on saying “yes” to the things that really light you up and/or genuinely, concretely help you move forward in your career. I actually go one step further in my personal and academic life. The past few years especially, whenever confronted with an opportunity, I tell myself, “if it’s not a ‘hell yeah’, it’s a ‘no’!”
What does that mean? While taking a moment to tune into your gut feeling about and considering the guaranteed, practical outcomes of this opportunity: do you feel like saying, “hell yeah, I want to take that on”! Or are you feeling a bit uncertain or unmotivated about it? If it’s the latter, let this one go. If you feel like saying “hell yeah”, then jump at the chance!
By focusing on the opportunities that truly excite you and help you move forward in your career, you’ll be able to make the most of your time and energy. You’ll also be able to prioritize self-care and make sure you don’t burn out. Simultaneously and as a direct result of this, when you do encounter a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you’ll actually have time and energy for it!
Remember, time and energy are valuable resources, so don’t waste them on things that don’t feed you, your personal time, and career. So go ahead and say yes to the things that make your heart sing, and let go of the rest.
So, don’t be afraid to say no. Remember, it’s not about missing out on opportunities, it’s about prioritizing the ones that really matter. Trust your gut, follow your passions, and you’ll be unstoppable!
Stay tuned (by subscribing to my newsletter) for some tips on how to formulate boundaries in a variety of contexts.