Say Yes or No to a New Commitment
Evaluate a new commitment through purpose, recurring time, peak demand, recovery, exit terms, displaced obligations, and the person relying on you.
Run the full-commitment check
- Describe a normal and peak week.
- Name what will be displaced.
- Check start, end, and exit terms.
- Offer a smaller scope if it fits.
The request is smaller than the obligation
A one-hour meeting may require preparation, travel, follow-up, and attention between sessions. Commitments also consume schedule flexibility that could serve existing priorities.
Meaning can justify effort
Not every valuable commitment maximizes efficiency. The method protects deliberate generosity by revealing its real cost, not by discouraging it.
Example: joining an advisory board
Quarterly meetings sound light, but document review and urgent calls create a six-hour peak month. A six-month trial with defined response expectations makes the obligation visible and reversible.
The decision rule
What to record before acting
Say yes to the full recurring obligation, not merely to the appealing headline request.
Apply the rule in context with identify what the commitment displaces. Keep the evidence and assumptions with the decision so an outcome review can distinguish reasoning from luck.
Continue within life and relationship decisions
Short-Term vs Long-Term Contract
Compare short and long contracts through price, duration, renewal risk, exit cost, flexibility value, stability, and uncertain life changes.
Short-Term vs Long-Term ContractHow to Decide on a Hobby Purchase
Decide on hobby equipment through current skill needs, usage evidence, rental or used options, resale, storage, learning value, and budget boundaries.
How to Decide on a Hobby Purchase