I used to say yes to everything. I thought it made me a good person, a generous collaborator, a high performer.
It made me exhausted.
Every yes is a no to something else. When you say yes to a meeting you don’t need, you say no to deep work. When you say yes to a project that drains you, you say no to the one that lights you up.
Saying no turned from guilt into power. Try it. Protect your bigger YES.