SSS #224: On Saying No

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Should I change my name to Corona? Cause ya' boy went viral again!

Idk why I ever tried getting InstaFamous.

Clearly, I have a face for Twitter. šŸ¤•

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Livin' La Vida Luna y Luca

We rented a cabin in the Poconos with a few friends for the long weekend (MLK day).

The kids loved it. They shared a room and Luna slept in a full-sized bed for the first time.

We went to Great Wolf Lodge & Kalahari, did a bunch of arts & crafts, and even made our own pizzas.

On Saying No

Let's kick this week off with a handful of quotes I've collected over the years on saying No.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas. You have to pick carefully.

-Steve Jobs

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.

-Peter Drucker

The ultimate productivity hack is saying No.

-James Clear

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say 'no' to almost everything.

-Warren Buffet

What I'm Saying No To in '24 & Beyond:

A few friends and I encourage each other to come up with a theme or word for the year.

My word for 2024 is "Frictionless".

I'm going for that second definition: "effortless achievement".

Let's get into a few examples of how saying No supports my Theme for the year.

Health: The last 20%

I'm saying no to the last 20% of effort required to achieve "peak" performance and aesthetics.

I've tried adjusting my diet and pushing myself in the gym 1,000x before and it always ends the same way: binge eating at night and injury.

No more.

It's only the 21st of the month and I've already hit the gym 15 times. I've also lost a few pounds since the holiday season.

If I can just stick to my process goals and say No to unrealistic expectations, the score will take care of itself.

Wealth: Being a Jack of All Trades

A good friend and I are helping a firefighter coming up on retirement get into the real estate investment game.

I've been driving for dollars with him for 2 hours per week these last 2 weeks.

On our last drive, I asked him a very simple question: "What are you not willing to do?"

His answer was basically... "Nothing. I'm willing to do anything to make this work."

While I appreciate the hustle and understand his position, my answer was the complete opposite.

I told him the only thing I'm willing to do is play the finance and adminstrative role in a Joint Venture on a heavy construction value-add project that nets me 6-figures.

Everything else is a distraction.

I will never get my real estate license to sell my own homes. I will never get my GC license to build my own home. And I will never be the operations partner to execute the business plan.

It sounds pretentious - I know. But it took me 6 years to get to this level of clarity on what value I add to the equation and I'm unapologetic about it.

Relationships: No Mo Drama

Miss me with drama, dude. I'm nearing zero tolerance for anyone or anything that makes life less enjoyable.

Sounds obvious, but I'm ashamed to admit the amount of toxic relationships I've been holding onto for the past decade. Time to let go. āœŒļø

I can't speak for Dia, but I'm perfectly happy staying at home reading and playing on the living room floor with my kids. So if we make an effort to leave our sanctuary it can't be anything less than an enjoyable experience.

To be clear - the venue or activity hardly matters. It's the people we choose to spend our time with that make all the difference.

Traveling:

At this stage of family life, I'm not willing to travel more than 2 time zones away. My kids are excellent sleepers and I'm not about to throw a wrench in that for a week by traveling to Europe or Hawaii anytime soon.

You can find us in Mexico, Florida, or the Caribbean for the next few years. šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

Painkillers > Vitamins:

As an entrepreneur, I'm constantly selling people on solutions to problems.

I'm now saying no to solving problems that can be treated with vitamins.

Instead, I'm focusing on problems that require two 500mg Tylenol every 6 hours for 48 hours.

Your Turn:

Hit reply & let me know: what are you saying no to in 2024 and beyond?