If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, overcommitted, or quietly resentful, chances are your calendar isn’t the problem, your boundaries are.

Most leaders I coach aren’t struggling because they’re incapable or undisciplined. They’re struggling because they say yes too often or without thinking.

Yes to another meeting. Yes to a project that doesn’t align with their goals. Yes to being the person everyone can count on, even when it comes at their own expense.

I know this pattern well. Earlier in my career, I said yes to nearly everything that came my way. I equated it with being a team player, with being seen as committed and capable. And truthfully, there is a season for that. When you’re early in your career, building trust, or learning the landscape, saying yes can open doors and expand your experience.

But over time, what once signaled commitment can become a trap. All that yes eventually became noise. There were moments when I was spread too thin to think strategically, lead well, or even rest.

The truth is, every “yes” is also a “no.”

When we agree to one thing, we inevitably trade time, focus, and energy that could have gone toward something more meaningful.