Why I’m saying yes to everything

Hi, Gopi here.

I just got accepted into my Master's program here in Vienna.

And it’s giving me a weird sense of déjà vu. I’m flashing back to the kid I was right after high school, about to start my Bachelor's, terrified and completely overthinking it.

I remember watching YouTube videos on "how to max out university experience". Seriously. I read books and mapped out strategies for the perfect university life.

I was so hyped, not just to learn, but to launch a new version of myself. My one goal was to not be the same guy I was in high school.

So I gave myself a simple, powerful rule: just say yes.

Not just to other people, but to the little questions in my own head.

“Should I walk over and sit next to those people I don’t know?” — Yes.
“Should I sign up for that random mentoring program?” — Yes.
“Should I be the one to ask what the plan is for tonight?” — Yes.

If someone offered a random activity, I’d find a way to squeeze it in.

And it worked. It was like a cheat code for serendipity. I stumbled into situations and friendships my high school self would have run from. Saying "yes" was my tool for mapping out a new world.

But now, starting this new chapter, it feels different.

I’m not that insecure kid anymore. I won’t be watching videos on social etiquette.

But I will be bringing back the "say yes" rule.

With one critical difference: this time, it has an expiration date.

Because I’ve learned the hidden cost of saying "yes" indefinitely. After a while, you become an opportunity collector, not a builder.

You spend all your energy seeking new doors, but you never spend enough time in one room to build anything meaningful. You’re just hopping from one exciting start to another, never seeing anything through. Your calendar is full, but your progress bar is stuck at 10% on a dozen different things.

There are two distinct modes:

1. The Discovery Phase: You say "yes" to everything. You’re exploring. The goal is to see what’s out there, meet new people, and gather as much data as possible.

2. The Focus Phase: You start saying "no" to almost everything. You’ve seen the map, and now you have to pick a destination and start digging. The goal is depth, not breadth.

You can’t be in both modes at once.

So for the next few months, I’m intentionally putting myself back in discovery mode. My default answer is yes. I'm building my new foundation.

But I know the switch is coming. The time will come to stop collecting and start building. And that’s the part they don’t always tell you about. The "no" is just as important as the "yes."

You just have to know which season you're in.