Now is a time to be aggressively imperfect

It's much easier to say no to things when you can identify your yes. A good yes should align with your core values and leave you feeling fulfilled.

Ask yourself these five questions to find out how you feel about an opportunity. If you answer "no" to any of these questions, you should probably let it go.

1. Do you want to take this on?
2. Why?
3. How much time will it take?
4. Do you have the time?
5. Does it fulfil you?

You may have to say yes to something that doesn't necessarily fulfil you. When in doubt about what to prioritize in your life, use the three-level prioritizing system.

1. Escalate: Important and urgent. These tasks are pushing us toward long-term goals and have a pressing deadline.
2. Cultivate: Important but not urgent. These activities will grow us and move us closer to our end goals but have no deadline. It's easy to let go of these tasks, but they deserve the most emphasis.
3. Accommodate: Unimportant but urgent. These tasks have a pressing deadline but don't help us reach our long-term goals, such as a messy kitchen. Spend as little time as possible in this section.

When we use a priority list, we work by priority and stop wasting energy deciding what to do next.