I’ve come to realize that people who get things done and achieve great things - successful people - say “no” all the time. They rarely agree to anything.

Why? Because if you always say “yes” - and we all know these people who are happy to help and have a seat in 12 different organizations - you don’t have the time to do things that really matter. You simply don’t have the time to follow your dream. To work on your goals.

There’s only so much time in the world, and if you fill it up with little tasks and agree to every request, you’re at that time not working on your thing.

As the saying goes: “You can have almost everything you want, but you can’t have everything”. Make up your mind of what it is you want to achieve and then go for it - cut out everything you can cut out. Value your time. Consider very very carefully before you agree to something.

I recently finished reading the Alchemist. The main key takeaway is that we should follow our dreams - at least, this is how most people understand this book. The other super vital point - that many might not realize - is that this tale about a young shepherd is not only about following your dream - but also asking yourself: “What am I willing to give up to follow my dream?”

If you've read the book, you know how much Santiago went through and how much he was willing to give up. E.g. he was literally willing to give up the love of his life to follow his dream. This is how important his dream was to him. And rightfully so!

KRISTJAN