Say yes to everyone and you’ll run out of yeses before you get to your own dreams.

Every yes spends something, even though it feels free at the moment of giving it. Each commitment takes time that has not been allocated yet, and the things with no external deadline are always the ones that get displaced. The people asking are not doing anything wrong, they simply do not know what else you have promised.

Before agreeing to something, look at the actual week it will land in rather than the abstract future. Practice a plain no without an elaborate excuse, since explanations invite negotiation. Protect at least one block for your own work before giving the rest away.