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Say This To Be More Productive
How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, "Sure thing?" Three days later, you’re overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list.
Callum Carver
February 14, 2024
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish."
SAY ‘NO’
350 Words | 1 Min 20 Sec Read
"No"
That's really it, "no," because not doing something will always be faster than doing it.
The same philosophy applies in other areas of life
For example, there is no meeting that goes faster than not having a meeting at all.
This is not to say you should never attend another meeting, but the truth is that we say yes to many things we don’t actually want to do. There are many meetings that don’t need to be held.
How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, "Sure thing?" Three days later, you’re overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list.
We become frustrated by our obligations, even though we were the ones who said yes to them in the first place.
It’s worth asking if things are necessary. Many of them are not, and a simple "no" will be more productive than whatever work the most efficient person can muster.
But if the benefits of saying no are so obvious, then why do we say yes so often?
We often agree to requests to avoid being seen as rude, but saying no to people we care about can be difficult.
Despite social considerations, many struggle to manage the balance between yes and no, overcommitting to unimportant tasks.
Our perception of yes and no may be the problem.
ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:
Upgrade your “No”
As you progress and achieve success, your strategy must evolve.
The value of your time grows, demanding a higher threshold for accepting opportunities.
You must decline both distractions and previously worthwhile endeavours to make room for exceptional ones.
Upgrading your ability to say “no” is crucial, preserving the freedom to say yes selectively. Ultimately, by rejecting harmful distractions, you'll gain the privilege of turning down even beneficial opportunities.
TAKEAWAYS:
The ultimate productivity hack is just saying “no” and saying “no” doesn't make you rude or disrespectful, It makes you in control of your time.
LESSON OF THE DAY ⤵️
“I have many big goals that I want to achieve, but the progress is difficult and slow, and it is affecting my thoughts and life that I am a failure, what mindset should I develop?”
You need short-term and long-term goals that result in short-term and long-term wins.
No one can live off a long-term goal, especially when working towards it could take years before you see a return.
You need to start rewarding yourself for the small wins, as those small wins compound and propel you forward to the long-term plays.
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