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Most of us are probably too quick to say yes and too slow to say no. It’s worth asking yourself where you fall on that spectrum.
If you have trouble saying no, you may find the following strategy proposed by Tim Harford, the British economist I mentioned earlier, to be helpful. He writes, “One trick is to ask, “If I had to do this today, would I agree to it?” It’s not a bad rule of thumb, since any future commitment, no matter how far away it might be, will eventually become an imminent problem.”
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MORE IDEAS ON THIS
The words “yes” and “no” get used in comparison to each other so often that it feels like they carry equal weight in conversation. In reality, they are not just opposite in meaning, but of entirely different magnitudes in commitment.
When you say no, you are only saying no to one option. Wh...
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More effort is wasted doing things that don’t matter than is wasted doing things inefficiently. And if that is the case, elimination is a more useful skill than optimization.
I am reminded of the famous Peter Drucker quote, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should...
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Over time, as you continue to improve and succeed, your strategy needs to change.
The opportunity cost of your time increases as you become more successful. At first, you just eliminate the obvious distractions and explore the rest. As your skills improve and you learn to separate what work...
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Saying no is sometimes seen as a luxury that only those in power can afford. And it is true: turning down opportunities is easier when you can fall back on the safety net provided by power, money, and authority. But it is also true that saying no is not merely a privilege reserved for the success...
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We agree to many requests not because we want to do them, but because we don’t want to be seen as rude, arrogant, or unhelpful. Often, you have to consider saying no to someone you will interact with again in the future—your co-worker, your spouse, your family and friends.
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CURATED FROM
Not doing something will always be faster than doing it.
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Overworked and overburdened is a recipe for unhappiness. So if you want to be happy, get some quick wins by saying no.
But say no the right way: say "I don't." Using the phrase "I don't" is more effective than saying "I can't."
If you say yes to too much, it could be sucking you dry.
It can be hard to say no, but it is usually better in the long run. It shows integrity.
When you like to please then it’s of course hard to say no.
But it is vital for you own happiness, stress-levels and for living the life you truly want.
Remind yourself why it is important to sometimes say no: You teach people by how you behave.
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