The Hidden Cost of Good Choices: A Lesson in Strategic Focus

I was sitting in my SUV outside a networking event in October 2022, staring at my calendar on my phone.

Four speaking engagements that month. A book idea still sitting on page one. Six coaching calls. Three podcast interviews scheduled. A friend's birthday party I'd committed to. Another friend asking if I wanted to grab dinner to "catch up." A potential client wanting to meet for coffee to "pick my brain."

My speaking business had tripled since the year before - which should have felt like winning. But sitting there, I felt like I was drowning.

Because here's what I hadn't seen coming: when opportunities multiply, so do the ways to lose focus.

I'd been saying yes to everything that seemed "good." Good networking. Good relationships. Good potential business. Good social connections after two years of dealing with COVID challenges.

The problem wasn't that these were bad choices. The problem was that good was becoming the enemy of great.

Most of us fail to realize the cost of 'good' choices.

Six weeks later, I had to killed a major project. Not because I wasn't capable - but because I'd scattered my energy across so many "good" opportunities that I didn't have the bandwidth left for what mattered most.

That's when it hit me: Every yes to something good is a no to something better.

Research from Harvard Business School shows that people who engage in "good" activities that don't align with their primary goals are 40% less likely to achieve breakthrough performance in their main arena. They're busy, but they're not building.

And here's what really stung - I was teaching others about focus while completely failing to protect my own.

🏆 The T.O.D.A.Y. Framework in Action

This is where the O in our T.O.D.A.Y. framework becomes critical: Honor Commitments, Maintain Momentum.

It's not just about honoring the commitments you've already made. It's about strategically choosing which commitments to make in the first place.

Four questions I now ask before saying yes to any opportunity:

1. Does this serve my main game? (Not just "is this good" - but does it directly advance my primary competitive arena?)

2. What am I saying no to by saying yes to this? (Because resources are finite - time, energy, focus)

3. Will this create or drain momentum toward my biggest goals? (Good opportunities can still be momentum killers)

4. Am I 'heck yes' excited or just so-so? (I've found the more HECK YES I am about something, the better it tends to be for me)

The networking event that night? I walked back to my tahoe and drove home. Not because networking is bad, but because what I needed most was focus, not more connections.

Your Challenge Today:

Look at your calendar for the next two weeks. Find one "good" commitment that doesn't serve your main competitive arena.

Cancel it.

Yes, it might feel uncomfortable. Yes, people might be disappointed. But protecting your competitive edge requires protecting your focus.

Send that text. Make that call. Decline that meeting that seemed like a good idea, but doesn't move your primary game forward.

Every high performer I know has had to learn this the hard way: The enemy of great isn't bad - it's good.

Your biggest threat isn't the obvious time-wasters. It's the well-intentioned opportunities that scatter your energy across too many fronts.

Champions in any arena - business, fitness, relationships - understand that saying no to good things is what creates space for great things.

This isn't about being selfish - it's about being strategic.

The world doesn't need another person who's good at everything. It needs you to be great at what matters most. Stop apologizing for protecting that.

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Jake Thompson is a keynote speaker on competitive mindset who works with sales-led organizations, construction teams, and associations to build high-performance cultures that compete every day through the C.O.M.P.E.T.E. Framework®, inspiring keynote programs, and practical systems that turn inconsistent results into sustained excellence.