🚧 How to take better decisions · The Bunker #129

A small rule that made a huge impact on my design career.

May 06, 2025

I don't know about you, but I've always been someone who overthinks things.

Or someone who was never quite sure if what I was doing was what I really wanted to do. I constantly had that little voice in my head saying:

"What if this isn’t the right thing?
What if I’m missing out on something better?"

And let me tell you that, that mental noise becomes exhausting over time.

A few months ago, I came across a book that, despite being very short, completely changed how I say yes or no to things. It’s called Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers. And today, I want to tell you why this concept can change your life (and your freelance design career).

The core idea of the book

Derek Sivers proposes a very simple rule: if it’s not a “Hell Yeah!”, then it’s a no.

Meaning: if something doesn’t genuinely excite you-if you’re not thinking "wow, I can’t wait to do this"-then you should say no.

And this applies to everything: meetings, projects, collaborations, opportunities, even dinners or trips.

This filter isn’t based on data or lists of pros and cons. It’s based on energy, emotion, intuition. And that’s often the most honest signal we have.

An important reflection

Now, not everything in life has to be a motivational highlight reel.

Sometimes it’s important to do things we don’t feel like doing if we know they’ll have a good impact.

There are decisions that, even if they don’t excite us 100%, are strategic or necessary-like making a hard phone call, dealing with admin, or even accepting a job that helps us get somewhere better.

But in many cases-especially in the creative world-doing things that aren’t a Hell Yeah simply isn’t worth it. They drain our energy, steal our focus, and worst of all, pull us away from what truly fulfills us. They make us dull. And when you work with ideas, that’s the last thing you want.

Why this matters as a designer (and as a person)

As freelance designers, we often say yes out of fear of missing out (FOMO):

“This meeting might not help, but just in case...”
“I don’t love this client, but it’s money...”
“This project isn’t my style, but maybe it’ll lead to something else...”

That fear makes us reactive, not strategic. We fill our calendar with things we don’t want to do. And worse: we leave no room for the things we do want to do.

I’ve had weeks so full I literally couldn’t think. And all because I said yes too many times when I wanted to say no.

What I learned applying this rule

Since I started trying to apply this rule (and I don’t always get it right, to be honest), I’ve taken fewer meetings, said no to lukewarm collaborations, and focused more on what truly moves me.

The result: more energy, more focus, and I enjoy my work way more. And the best part: by saying no more often, the things I say yes to have way more impact. Because those decisions come from excitement, not fear.

A small example: recently I was invited to speak at a design school event. I was flattered, but deep down I thought: “Do I really want to invest time in this? Or am I doing it for validation?”

And it was a no. That same day I made huge progress on one of my products.

Many times what we feel is pure FOMO-that constant fear of missing out. But what we really need to cultivate is JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out): the joy of skipping things.

The peace of knowing you don’t need to be everywhere, say yes to everything, or grab every opportunity that comes your way. (Honestly, this deserves a full post on its own-if you're up for it, I’ll write it.)

How you can apply it too

Before saying yes to something, ask yourself: “Is this a Hell Yeah for me?”
If the answer is “meh” or “I guess so”... it’s not enough.
Start small: decline a meeting, turn down a project.
If you’re unsure, look at your week: how many things genuinely excite you? What could you drop?
With time, it gets easier. And it’s freeing. You become more you.

And if you want to apply this mindset to design…

One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make is saying yes to everything. That’s why they end up burned out, unfocused, and with a portfolio that doesn’t represent them.

My products are built exactly for that: to help you make better decisions, save time, and focus only on what matters. So every project you take on feels like a Hell Yeah.

Koala UI: a powerful Figma Design System so you don’t have to start from scratch. Fewer tiny decisions, more energy for the big stuff.
Freelance Bundle: books and Notion templates to help you get organized, gain clarity, and know exactly what to say yes to.

In other words: tools to help you say Hell Yeah to the right projects ;)

Talk soon ✌️

Jordi.

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