I have the word YES tattooed on my right forearm. I love saying yes. I love new ideas and invitations to new adventures…but I’ve learned the hard way (over and over again) that I can’t say yes to everything that comes my way.
I needed to create some sort of system to help me determine when a new idea is worth investing my time and resources. From that came these five questions I ask myself almost every day.
Five questions to ask when you encounter a new idea:
1. Is this new idea consistent with my life mission?
The older I get, the more clear my purpose becomes. I want to partner with others to tell stories and lead initiatives that spark hope and action in the world. Some new ideas sound fun or profitable, but they don’t help me get there. I may still indulge in a new idea that is “off mission,” but with the realization that it probably won’t last when more integrated ideas come around. Off-mission ideas are the conceptional equivalent of too much nice wine. It may feel good today, but…tomorrow is coming.
2. Can this new idea be assimilated into a current initiative?
Some new ideas fit perfectly into something I am already doing or dreaming about. If a new idea fits into a current, already-determined, worthwhile project, it jumps way up the list of possibilities for me. At that point, it is less of a new idea and more of an answer to a question I sometimes didn’t even know to be asking.
3. Is this something I CURRENTLY want?
I have learned to say no to new opportunities that I would have once loved to have. For instance, I turn down auditions for a film or TV role about once per year. (I’m a recovering professional actor, and a few casting agents remember me from the olden days.) Ten years ago, these opportunities would have been portals to my dream job, but now landing a role like that would be a massive distraction…even if it still sounds fun and exciting. I have to remind myself that it’s not the main thing I want to do anymore. Sometimes landing that opportunity, we used to want is the last thing we need to get where we now want to go.
4. Who do I know who could better serve this idea than me?
I used to think, “Who do I know who can help me do this idea?”
Now I think more about gifting the idea to someone who can bring it to life with or without my help. Usually, both of us end up a lot happier this way.
5. Will I regret NOT saying yes to this idea?
The projection of a future state of regret is often a defining factor in how I make decisions. It is a problem if I look into my future and know that I will constantly be asking, “Why didn’t I pursue that idea?” When it comes to my creative and professional life, I will pick regretting doing something over regretting doing nothing every single time. So if I know that, I know I’ll regret it…I will probably give a resounding YES to a new opportunity.too
