And then I also free up time by outsourcing the stuff I cannot or no longer want to do, like Facebook posts, blogpost pics, video subtitles….This allows me to focus only on the things I do best.
I need to work on outsourcing more and saying more nos in my personal life though 😉

@Sydney- yes, not saying no to anything is indeed horrible advice, especially since women are often asked to do the low-value, thankless tasks in academic departments. Say yes to too much of that and you don’t have the time or energy for the collaborations with big players in your field.
I hope you enjoy the book when it comes out!

@ARC – yep, or at least learning to ask for more resources when you’re asked to do lots of stuff. As in, sure, but I need 3 more people reporting to me. That sort of thing!

@smh- yes, targeted visibility is smart. Sometimes opportunities come because people see you and remember you. People generally don’t remember people they aren’t seeing that much – sad but true. And yes, sometimes we need to say yes to things in order to preserve relationships. It is an inexact science.

Additionally, I would say that targeted visibility and asking for things help create opportunities. Re: targeted visibility, even though I’m a 100% introvert on the MB, I try to force myself to show up to conference receptions, etc., where there might be interesting people, even if I’m not sure I’ll know anyone there. Rarely have I regretted doing this beyond the first 10 minutes. 🙂 RE: asking for things, as you note in a recent post, people generally want to help. Even if they have to say no sometimes, this makes them more inclined to help in the future. Plus, you become known as an initiative-taker.

Two additional thoughts:
1. Knowing when to say yes or no is not an exact science. There might be regret either way, but one has to assume that there will be more opportunities.
2. Sometimes, it is probably a good idea to say yes even if you’d rather say no, e.g., to volunteer for a boring project to help out the boss who generally supports you. If your default response is generally “no” and you’re in the habit of weighing opportunities/commitments carefully, there will be more time and space for this sort of thing.

I so wish I had learned this lesson earlier in life, about feeling like it’s OK to say no and keep some space in your schedule. Or at least say yes, but then talk openly about what needs to drop or be de-prioritized. I was more than 12 years into my career when I finally started doing this instead of just blindly taking on everything I was asked to do 🙁

I look forward to reading your new book when it comes out this year. This is such a great extension on what you’ve been doing with encouraging women to think outside the box with respect to outsourcing, etc., and I look forward to hearing what you’ve discovered. I think you’re onto something.