What is the “no” I keep postponing?

Sunday, June 14th, 2026

“If it’s not a hell yes, it should be a no.”

I’ve heard that a lot over the years.

And every time I hear it, it hits.

It simplifies things.
It makes tough decisions feel clear.
You run it through that filter, decide, and move on.

At least in theory.

But there’s been one decision I’ve kept postponing.

A few months back, a board member introduced me to a former colleague. Someone they thought could add value to PRACTICE.

I knew the person well.

And pretty quickly, I had a feeling.

Not because they aren’t capable.
Not because they aren’t respected.

But I couldn’t picture us working together.

Different style.
Different stage of life.
Different level of urgency.

And there wasn’t even a real role to begin with.

Still, I didn’t say no.

The conversation never fully materialized, and I told myself it was behind us.

Then I ran into them again recently.

And the conversation picked right back up.

They started positioning themselves again — ways they could plug in, support, add value.

And I found myself doing the same thing.

Pausing.
Reconsidering.
Second-guessing what I already knew.

On paper, it’s easy to justify.

They’re well respected.
They’ve done meaningful work.

But in reality, it’s been inconsistent.
Hot and cold.
More talk than follow-through.

And the more I entertained it, the more it became a quiet distraction.

Not a real opportunity.
Just something sitting in the background, taking up space.

And I think that’s the part I didn’t fully appreciate.

Postponing a no doesn’t keep the door open.

It just keeps the decision alive longer than it needs to be.

What’s become clearer to me is this:

If it’s not a hell yes, it’s not something to keep revisiting.

It’s something to close.

Not harshly.
Not abruptly.

Just clearly.

I’ve been postponing that.

And I won’t anymore.