Thread by @position_trader

A thread on "How to Say No Effectively" based on notes from the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

"Half of the troubles of the life can be traced to saying Yes too quickly and not saying No soon enough" - Josh Billings

(1/n)

1. Separate the Decision from the Relationship

You are saying No to the particular request, not to the person or your relationship with them. Understanding this separation makes it much easier to say No.

(2/n)

2. Saying No doesn't have to mean to use the word "No"

Example: "I would love to do this but I am afraid I just don't have the bandwidth"

"I would love to do this but I am overcommitted at the moment"

(3/n)

3. Focus on the Trade-off

When you say Yes for something non-essential, you are forced to say No to something essential.

Focussing on what you would have to give up on if you say Yes to something non-essential, would make it much easier to say No to it.

(4/n)

4. Make your peace with the fact that saying No will make you unpopular in the short term.

But it will earn you respect in the long term.

And more importantly, it will clearly set your boundaries. Which means, less need to say No in the future.

(5/n)

5. A clear "No" is far better than a non-committal or a vague "Yes".

It's better for you. It's better for the other person. It shows respect for yourself as well as the other person.

(6/n)

6. Sometimes, it's hard to say "No" at your workplace, specially to your boss.

Here is a simple way to do so elegantly.

"Sure, i will do this, but what should I deprioritise in order to do this new project?"

And that completes the thread. (7/7)