Choose Wisely
String Music: A Newsletter from Dr. Hunter Taylor
The Question
How do you want to spend your time?
That’s not a productivity question.
It’s a life question.
If you’re like me, one of the hardest things to do is say no.
You like people.
You want to be liked.
You don’t want to miss out.
But every yes costs something.
And usually, it costs time.
The Pressure
Right now, my kids are prime customers for the youth sports machine.
And it’s no longer seasonal.
It’s constant.
Training sessions.
Travel teams.
Camps.
Weekends in the car.
The part that bothers me isn’t the money.
It’s the time.
We get such a short window with them like this.
Before licenses.
Before independence.
Before friends who matter more than parents.
Right now, they still want to be with us.
That won’t last forever.
The Choice
Recently, a friend generously offered us tickets to a high-profile college basketball game.
A great experience.
We said no.
Instead, we made breakfast together.
Played a card game.
Spread a big sheet of paper across the counter and drew.
No traffic.
No parking decks.
No rush.
Just us.
Ordinary.
Unremarkable.
Perfect.
The Rubric
This isn’t just about sports.
Recently, I cut a meaningful project with a friend - something we’d done the last two years.
It doesn’t mean I don’t believe in it, or him.
It means it didn’t match the internal rubric I use for where I give my energy.
Does it align with my values?
Does it serve the season I’m in?
Does it strengthen what matters most?
If the answer is no - even if the opportunity is good - it has to go.
This is why I begin my teaching with intentional time on personal values.
It’s not a feel-good exercise.
It’s a filter.
Values aren’t meant to decorate your journal.
They’re meant to help you cut things out.
To say no.
To choose wisely.
The Leadership Lesson
Leadership is not about maximizing opportunity.
It’s about aligning time with values.
If you don’t decide what matters most, the calendar will decide for you.
And the calendar has no conscience.
The people who build meaningful lives aren’t the ones who say yes to the most things.
They’re the ones who say yes to the right things.
Your Challenge
Take fifteen quiet minutes this week.
Write down what you actually value in this season.
Then look at your calendar.
What doesn’t match?
What needs to be cut?
What hard no have you been avoiding?
You don’t get unlimited seasons.
You get this one.
I’m choosing wisely.
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