Yes or No

Introducing the Three P's: How I Decide When to Say Yes or No to a Project

In the past twelve months, I’ve only worked for five clients.

I don’t need a high volume of clients to stay busy, so I need to be selective. That means saying no to 80 or 90 percent of the potential projects that come my way.

Saying no hasn’t always been easy for me. In fact, it used to be one of the hardest parts of running my business. But over time, I developed a system that helps me make these decisions more clearly and confidently. I call it the Three P’s: Project, People, and Profit.

This system acts as a filter. Before committing to a new project, I ask myself three key questions:

Project: Does this project fit within the vision I have for my business? Is it the kind of work I want to be doing? Am I excited about spending weeks or even months working on this?

People: What’s it going to be like working with these people? Are they a good fit for me? Am I for them? Will we enjoy working together and collaborate effectively?

Profit: Does the budget allow me to do my best work? Each project, no matter its size, has to be profitable. Otherwise, I can’t put my full energy into it.

In an ideal situation, a project would check all three of these boxes. When it does, saying yes is easy. But even if one or two areas aren’t perfect, having this framework helps me make clearer decisions about whether or not to move forward.

I’ve struggled over the years with choosing the right projects, but the Three P’s have become an essential guide for me. This is the beginning of a larger conversation I want to have about how to choose the work that aligns with your vision, values, and goals.