When it comes to fitness and health, I firmly believe that balance is the key to good health and happiness. That’s also something that I have forced myself to practice in other aspects of life as well, and although things are forever changing/progressing, I have learned that saying “no” can benefit me more in the long run than saying “yes” to everything. If you’re the type of person who often feels like you’re stretched too thin, this is probably something that you need to hear.
People often ask me how I juggle everything that I do—manage a business, train people, manage people, work out and prep for a fight. The truth is, when I started out, I was constantly overextending myself and trying to be everywhere and doing everything at once. Sometimes I still take on too much, but I’ve gotten better at balancing things out. Like everyone, I wish we had more hours in the day and unlimited energy to keep going. But time and energy is limited, and while saying yes to every opportunity might seem like it opens more doors, it also means that I’m not able to give 100% to everything on the table. It might keep me busy, but it mostly isn’t productive.
My advice to a lot of my close friends (and to my younger self) is to realize that their time is worth something, and not everyone can have access to it. Putting yourself first is not being selfish. The key is to figure out what your priorities are and to remember to spend most of your time and energy on those things. If you give everyone your time, you won’t dedicate any to yourself and what you truly care about. It’s mentally and physically draining. And when you do say yes to something, you’ll have given more thought to it because you know that you turned down other opportunities in lieu of this one.
By the way, wanting to give yourself a break is also a legitimate reason to turn something down. We all need to stay sane, and the harder you work, the more that’s true. Make the right choices for your success and happiness by being smart with your time, surrounding yourself with good people, and establishing good habits. I am always striving to be better and do better, and I encourage you to do the same!
