Rule #5: Say "Yes" More Often

 There are many times when we find ourselves in situations where we might get an offer to go somewhere, do something, take something, give something, meet someone or try something new.  Many of these times, if it’s something out of our comfort zone, it’s easier to say “No” than it is to say “Yes.”  Maybe you don’t feel like driving an extra 20 minutes to go to a party with your new coworkers, maybe you aren’t particularly interested about one aspect of a potential job so you don’t go out for it, maybe at first glance you’re not interested to go on a date with the guy or girl who just asked you out, maybe you aren’t up for taking that last minute road trip with your friends for various reasons.  In some of these instances we may have valid reasons to say no, but if you look back on some of the occasions when you turned down one of these offers, it was probably for trivial reasons.  And that’s exactly what those excuses are- trivial.  Maybe you were feeling a bit lazy, tired or were in a bad mood at the time. 

In our twenties, when we have the luxury of freedom from great responsibilities, it doesn’t hurt to say “Yes” more often.  The more opportunities you pursue when you’re in your twenties, the more sure of yourself you will become.  Let’s say you decide to go out for that job that you might not be so passionate about at first glance.  The best case scenario is that it turns out to be a much better opportunity than you expected and might be something that you could be passionate about.  Worst case scenario is that it turns out to be what you expected, you don’t decide to pursue it any further.  At least now you have the advantage of having more job search experience and you know more about what you DON’T want in a job.  Either way, you gained something valuable from the experience! 

Saying yes to as many opportunities as possible is a valuable rule to follow while you’re in your twenties because the more open minded you are when you have the freedom to explore new experiences, the more informed you will become about yourself and the world around you.  Not every opportunity you say “Yes” to will be a great experience, but sometimes our mistakes are our best teachers as long as we are smart enough to learn from them. 

So next time, drive the extra 20 minutes to that party, go on that date or that job interview and take the last minute road trip with your friends.  It might be the best experience of your life, or if it’s not a great experience it might become a funny story to look back on in the future.  Throw out the trivial excuses and learn to be more open to every opportunity that comes your way.  Make it a rule to say “Yes” to as many opportunities as possible.