What I’m Saying No to This Year—And Why

Teresa Torres explains how she decides what to accept and decline as a product coach, teacher, writer and speaker, starting from a clear set of personal priorities: teaching, curriculum design, reading, writing and community. She argues that every commitment should reinforce those priorities, and that saying no is necessary when requests far exceed available time. She then shares concrete limits she sets on coaching, conferences, podcasts and meetings, plus a list of activities she refuses outright, such as consulting and job searching. Her core point is that strategy means defining what you won't do, and that focus makes her better at her work and attracts more of the right clients.

01Key takeaways

• Define your core priorities first, since they make later yes-or-no decisions much easier.
• Check whether each commitment directly reinforces what matters most to you rather than just sounding impressive.
• Set explicit caps on recurring obligations like speaking, meetings and client load to keep them manageable.
• Protect regular blocks of uninterrupted time for the deep work that drives your craft.
• Publicly stating what you won't do helps others understand and respect your boundaries.
• Narrowing your focus tends to increase your skill and the quality of the value you deliver.

02Key sections

Start with your priorities

Torres grounds her decisions in a small set of personal priorities defined years earlier, which guide everything else she agrees to.

Connect activities to purpose

She shows how each of her commitments, from coaching to speaking to moderating an executive council, reinforces her core priorities of teaching and learning.

Set limits on each activity

She caps the number of coaching clients, conference talks and non-client meetings, and protects two meeting-free days each week for deep work.

Define what you won't do

She lists requests she declines, including consulting, corporate workshops, hiring support and guest posts, to keep her focus narrow.

The power of saying no

Torres concludes that limiting scope improves her skill and attracts more clients, and she invites readers to consider what they will decline.

03From the post

“The hardest part of my day is saying no to things I shouldn’t be doing. I’m in a fortunate position. I have a thriving coaching business. I write a popular product blog. I get invited to speak at conferences. I teach at a university. I participate in an”

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.