It started off back in 2006 when I embarked on The Year of Yes where I kept myself open and said "Yes" to any reasonable opportunities and dates. Thus, I said yes to a date with some financial guy I met at a bar, which led me on a bad date on the upper east side and on the E train where I met Raphael and when he asked for my phone number I said "yes" and later when he asked me to move to Los Angeles. :) Don't worry, I didn't say yes to everything a guy asked me to do that year, lol.
I then had The Year for the Real Thing, The Year of Smiles, The Year of My Career and The Year of Babies, etc. I find it motivates me to focus and strive for it. I also believe it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I was forwarded a Huffington Post article 40 Things I Can Do at 40 That I Couldn't Do When I Was 20. Although I'm only 31 (yikes first time writing that number), I was mentally checking off most of the items as I breezed through them. Then, I saw #36 Say "no" to stuff and I paused. Interesting. I then thought of some recent stress in my life and realized I couldn't fully claim this one.
Thus, this year I'm going to say no when I can and be a bit selfish at times despite guilt trips or unwanted obligations. Saying no to blogger events that I don't want to cover or write about. My goal isn't to be a tool though, just not over commit myself either or regret saying yes, wasting my time, etc.
What's your theme going to be this year?
I like your theme. There were so many times I was given a hard time for saying no in the past that I was afraid to. Now, I don't care. It's empowering. My theme is positivity. After having a crappy 2013, I refuse to let that happen again so I'm trying to focus on the positive.
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