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Last updated on September 6th, 2022 at 11:08 pm
You know who they are. The Silos. Magnolia Home. The Magnolia Journal. Hearth & Hand. Fixer Upper. Chip and Joanna Gaines are a household name and at the top of success.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like them. They draw you in with their personalities. It’s like we know them personally.
Aside from learning from them about branding, business, hit TV shows, and where to put all the shiplap, there is one lesson everyone can learn from Chip and Joanna.
When to say no.
Season 5 of Fixer Upper is it. They’re quitting. While it leaves all of us bummed out, I totally get it, especially after reading the chapter in Chip’s book Capital Gaines on why they’re quitting.
If you read it, or plan to read it, you will find out these people are not crazy for quitting TV. In fact, we all need to take that lesson and run with it.
Chip and Jo have three reasons for saying no. We should reflect on each one of these reasons in our own lives when it comes to making decisions – whether that’s a new opportunity or having too many commitments on the calendar.
So what are the three reasons for saying no?
1 | Priorities
The biggest priorities for Chip and JoJo are 1) their marriage and family and 2) their business. They can do both of these things well at the same time. But adding on another priority (Fixer Upper) is spreading themselves too thin.
Simply stated, something is going to suffer when you are trying to do too many things at once. You can’t give everything your all. The things that need the most attention get missed, and it’s exhausting to live like that.
It’s like those kids in high school that do sports and other extracurriculars on top of keeping up with classes and doing their homework. (This was my husband, by the way.) Something is going to get put on the backburner, whether it ends up being homework or rest.
If you don’t know what your priorities are, it’s tough to know what you should say no to.
We all might need to sit down with our spouses and families and decide what the most important “thing” is. Having our priorities in mind as we make commitments and say “yes” helps us to stay focused and on track.
2 | Rest
As previously stated, doing too many things is exhausting. Sometimes you have to say no to something, simply to get some rest.
We spent four weekends straight traveling to Big Bear, Disneyland, Las Vegas, and Alabama. (I’m still tired thinking about it.) Once we got home, our parish revival started up. Although it would have been great to go, and we had some intention of going, we were just plain tired.
All we wanted was to chill out at home and do nothing.
So that’s what we did.
Chip talks about the infamous tweet that made him realize they were stretched too thin. He states, “That tweet-fueled revelation also brought me to realize that Jo and I are tired…We had been driving so hard for so long now. And I had this sense that if I kept my foot on the gas, we might be headed for disaster.”
I know that feeling.
Just because the opportunity is there doesn’t mean you have to commit to it. You have to think about your priorities and your health, and this brings me to the next point…
3 | No FOMO
It’s ok to say no. You aren’t going to miss out. In fact, you might find another better opportunity is waiting around the bend in the road.
A few years ago I turned down the opportunity for a promotion and a huge raise when the company where I work relocated. If I said yes, I would have had to move to another city alone while my husband stayed in California to finish his doctorate.
Despite our desperate need for the money, there was no way we were going to be separated. Instead, I said no and negotiated to work from home in my current position.
I can’t tell you how much this afforded us. I was free to travel from state to state with my husband as he did his rotations to finish his doctorate. Today I still work full time and have my daughter home with me. While it has its drawbacks, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
All this because I could say no.
You can’t fear saying no. Chip and Joanna are not afraid that they are missing out on an opportunity by quitting their show. In fact, they put faith in God to lead them down the next path.
Saying no is not about missing out. Saying no can mean grace and opportunities you never dreamed possible.
It is important to protect your time and how you live your life by saying no. We need to understand our priorities and our need for rest. From the outside, you might look crazy for saying no but only you know, what is the right decision is by talking to those closest to you and through faith.
Ask yourself:
- Does this fall in line with my priorities?
- Do I feel obligated or peer pressured into saying yes to a commitment?
- Am I afraid that I’m missing out on an opportunity? Is it right for me and my family?
So be like Chip and Joanna. Don’t be afraid to give what’s most important to you the opportunity to flourish.
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