No

 Almost the shortest word in the English language, yet one of the hardest often to say and hear. But it is so critical to make sure this word is added to your vocabulary appropriately. Our initial reaction to any question should not be "NO," but there are important times to say no.

When you have set aside a time block for yourself to accomplish work towards your strategies, you have to say no to every possible thing you can. If your boss says, "I need you now!" or the fire alarm goes off, of course you cannot ignore those. But everything else must be a no. This doesn't mean you are being rude or standoffish. But it means that you are prioritizing what needs to be done first. Ask the person that wants your time when the best time to reschedule would be. Or tell them to come back in 30 minutes, or you will text, call, find them when you are done doing what must happen now. It doesn't feel good to say to someone, but it is important to be able to say. It also gives that person permission to say the same to you, when they have something important to address, so respect that.

Another time it is critical to say no is when the question, work being asked of you, or resource being considered does not fit in with the established goals, strategies, and priorities. These have already been set, and when something else is added to your plate, its again important to say no. An explanation is warranted, and saying that you are already working on the strategies set forth works. Telling the person you are happy to work on that when the current work is done, or asking them if they want you to pivot so you can focus on the new idea instead are also good options.

Remember that everytime you say "YES" to doing or buying something, going somewhere, you are saying "NO" to all the things you could be doing instead. So making sure you are saying yes to your 20% items means saying no to everything else.