Jon Stewart retired last week after 17 years hosting The Daily Show. He was an innovator who changed how we view news. He was able to push boundaries and ask questions that journalists do not.
At the same time, he was able to set boundaries as any leader or creator must. Creative processes are not achieved without both pushing and setting boundaries.
In order to stay focused on what is essential and not get distracted by noise, we need to prioritize and say no to things that are less important at the time.
Simplifying and clarifying options helps us to say yes to what we really want. We must be willing to take a stand for what is important to us at the risk of disappointing others.
After you are clear on your priorities, ask yourself:
- Am I investing enough time on my top priorities?
- Is what I am doing now the highest and best use of my time?
- To what will I say no in order to say yes?
In the process of setting boundaries, you may end up pushing some- both yours and others. Jon Stewart showed us how to do that.