“Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should”
Lately, it seems that almost everyone I talk to is tired. I don’t think that is coincidental.
As business professionals, we are often swamped with projects, oppressed by the doom and gloom of today’s headlines, buried in endless minutiae and feel a never-ending compulsion to do more. (And that’s just our work life, mind you).
So let me ask -
Do you ever start your work day tired? (Not because you didn’t get enough sleep the night before or that you haven’t yet consumed your typical jolt of java), I’m referring to a sense of familiar weariness that begins to wash over you as you peruse your overflowing “in box”, plethora of emails and jam-packed calendar.
Years ago, while struggling with a decision I needed to make, I turned to a good friend for advice. After listening to my outline of what I thought was the best solution, he said quietly, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Taking a moment and weighing the pros and cons of “I can vs. I should” has many applications. Whether considering saying “Yes, please”, versus “No, thank you” to an offer for seconds on dessert, or to a request to take on yet another personal, professional or financial commitment.
In any scenario, the questions really come down to “What stands to be gained or lost by a ‘yes’ or ‘no’?” and “What are the true benefits and real costs associated with my opt-in or opt-out?”
When I begin to feel weariness creeping over me and my “can-do! attitude” seems to have me running my life in hyper-drive, I’ve learned to go back and put into use that quiet bit of amazing insight offered up by a dear friend, “Just because you can, does not mean you should“.
