Boundaries can lead one to the greatest success.
After 40 years of studying highly successful people in . . .
. . . I believe the most accomplished folks have one thing in common.
They set boundaries by saying “no” to most requests on their time because they recognize the relative unimportance of almost everything.
Indeed, the most successful folks in the world save their time for the best choices.
Four come to mind.
1. Save time for your biggest talent
What is your biggest talent? Your lead story? What is the thing you are gifted to do above all others?
Clarifying your best talent allows you to say “no” to any offer that doesn’t revolve around it.
Nora Ephron, known for writing the screenplays of movies like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, distinguished herself by capturing the gist of a story.
“I realized that journalism was not just about regurgitating the facts but about figuring out the point. It wasn’t enough to know the who, what, when, and where; you had to understand what it meant. And why it mattered.” Nora Ephron
Do you know the point of your life? The gist of your story?
In every set of abilities, there is an essential talent.
Corraling time around your best talent leads to the greatest fulfillment.
2. Boundaries are the secret
The secret is eliminating many good things and cleaving to the one great thing.
Boundaries against decisions based on comparison or approval save wasted time.
Go all in on the essential purpose of your life.
“The crime which bankrupts men and states is that of job-work;-declining from your main design to serve a turn here or there.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Use this parachute
If you sense lousy direction, uncommit.
This can be more complicated than committing.
But the courage to back out saves time, energy, and money.
A good example is the world’s first supersonic jet, the Concorde. It flew at Mach 2, faster than a speeding bullet.
The British and French governments spent over $1 billion to develop and build the aeronautical wonder.
In fact, my wife, Judy, flew the Concorde from JFK to London with Vogue Magazine travel editor Richard Alleman in 1985. She shares the stunning experience in her soon-to-be-released coffee table travel book, Paper Girl’s World.
It was glamorous, yes. But it was not so alluring for the French and British governments. Over four decades, they lost money on the Concorde fleet.
After sinking $1 billion in startup costs, they kept spending, and revenue plunged.
How many folks can afford a $20,000 plane ticket in 1989?
4. The question that saves time and money
When in doubt, ask, “If I weren’t already invested in this project, how much would I invest today?”
If the answer is “none,” run away.
Remember that the most successful folks are good editors of their time, people who say “no” to things.
Every edit is painful at first, but later, it yields excellent success and great joy.
How many things do you need to give up?