In my previous article, "There Are Only So Many Yeses in a Day," I explored the challenge of decision-making and the impact of our choices on daily life. I also committed to reading the book I was pulling inspiration from. Now, halfway through reading The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst, I’m finding myself on a personal journey that is reminding me to be patient and intentional with my time, my choices and myself.
I’ll admit, this book isn't quite what I thought it would be. It is deeper than the tactical art of making decisions; it's about making the best decisions by understanding the flow of our lives and the importance of scheduling. This book also puts a lot of weight on using faith and a formal, consistent process in your decision-making. It provides an actionable approach emphasizing that saying "no" to some things allows us to give a wholehearted "yes" to what really matters.
I love how in chapter 3, she explains that a schedule dictates how we live our lives, and how we live our lives dictates how we feed our soul – and I know many of you can relate when I say that it is the dairy cow and the world that comes with these animals that feeds my soul.
At first this sounded a little too heavy and profound for me to use when making seemingly small daily decisions. However, every decision, big or small, impacts my career, my happiness, my family and my friends. It’s the same theory on a dairy – each move you make impacts the day-to-day operations but also the long-term well-being of the animals and the farm's overall success. Simply put, every "yes" we utter, even under our breath, is an investment. Whether it’s committing to that recommended change in diet formulation or taking a picture and writing the caption for your Instagram account, each choice shapes our farms’, our businesses’ and our careers’ stories.
One of the key takeaways halfway through the book is the concept of the "flow" – which is the rhythm and pacing of our decisions and commitments. By making decisions that dictate our schedules with our values in mind and remaining true to what matters to us, faith or otherwise, we create a daily flow that boosts productivity and nurtures our own well-being. This not only enhances efficiency on the farm but also gives back a sense of peace that may have been overshadowed by the stress of decision-making and being overwhelmed with to-do’s. If you remember from my previous article, "Crystal Prom," a dairy focus consultant with Cargill, shared with us signs of when she knows she has too much on her plate. “Becoming overly anxious, not sleeping well and forgetting things I need to do are all signs I've noted in myself that mean I'm overwhelmed. Paying attention to those red flags has really helped me the last few years.” These red flags are a key part of understanding what our limits are and when we need to start being more intentional about what we build into our schedules and daily flows by saying yes – or saying no.
TerKeurst definitely doesn't shy away from the weight of decision-making in the first half of the book; instead, she frames how she makes decisions by using a broader perspective of faith and always reminding herself of her purpose and what matters most to her. This reminded me of what Kelli Cull, owner and operator of Budjon Farms in Wisconsin, shared with me when we discussed the inevitable unknowns on a dairy farm and understanding what always comes first when faced with “this or that” decisions, similar to yes and no. “The unannounced situations that come up usually are animal-related (calvings, sickness, injuries) and that always trumps anything else and any time commitments made prior. Our farm and our cattle are our number one priority. We have to always say yes to the animals and the clients [who] own them because that is our business.”
I’m excited to finish the second half of The Best Yes, especially as an audiobook – the author is incredibly calming. Until next time, remember: Every "yes" counts. Whether it's for your farm, your family or that extra scoop of ice cream after a long day!
