myself to be an early bird because
even though I was staying up late,
I wasn’t getting anything done.)
Mornings are also the time when
I’m at my best when it comes to
connecting with God and exercising—
not because I’m better at it in the
morning, but because if I don’t do it in
the morning, it will never happen.
The rest of my work day, until 4:00
p.m. (remember, I get up early) is
dedicated to whatever requires less
focus or naturally brings me energy:
answering e-mail, meeting with team
members, recording videos, and
strategizing. By evening I’m starting
to lose steam. I’m all talked out and
ready to shift into my personal life
with different kinds of tasks: prepping
dinner, ironing shirts (while watching
TV—yes, I deserve a reward for
ironing shirts), folding and putting
away laundry, eating dinner, hanging
out with my husband, taking a walk,
and prepping for tomorrow. These
are such routine tasks that I can do
them without a ton of mental energy.
If something is important to me,
I can still work it in. But I’m far more
realistic about what I can and can’t
do than I used to be. And if I’m going
to rearrange my schedule, it’s going
to be for something that truly matters
to me, not what someone else thinks
should matter to me.
Having a well-defined work day
is another powerful form of pre-
deciding. And pre-deciding means
68 Solutions
I’m less likely to cave in to a desire to
people-please when an e-mail pops
up with a pressing request.
Pre-Deciding When to Say Yes and
When to Say No
Pre-deciding involves asking
yourself some yes and no questions.
1. Am I able? Sometimes a no
is easy. You want me to be on a
committee at the kids’ school and the
committee meets every Tuesday from
one to three? Well, I have a job and
that won’t work. I’m not able to say yes.
2. Am I excited? Does the idea of
doing this make me want to get up in
the morning, or will it make me want
to crawl back under the covers?
3. Am I the best person to do this?
Or am I just the most convenient
person to ask?
4. Will this build my life purpose?