Saying No is the Ultimate Productivity Hack For 2022 Yes Man or Woman

Saying no is the greatest productivity tip.

It is always faster to not do something than to do it. This sentence reminds me of an old computer programming adage: "Remember, no code is quicker than no code."

The same principle may be applied to other aspects of life. There is no meeting, for example, that moves faster than not having one at all.

This is not to imply you should never go to another meeting again, but the fact is that we often say yes to things we don't want to do. Many meetings are held that do not need to be held. There is a lot of code that might be removed.

How frequently do you get asked to do something and simply say, "Sure thing." Three days later, you're exhausted by the length of your to-do list. We feel annoyed by our commitments, despite the fact that we agreed to them in the first place.

It's worth considering whether certain items are absolutely required. Many of them aren't, and a simple "no" will be more productive than the most efficient person's job.

But, if the advantages of saying no are so evident, why do we say yes so frequently?

Why Do We Say Yes?

Many requests are granted not because we want to do them, but because we don't want to be perceived as unpleasant, arrogant, or useless. Often, you must consider saying no to someone with whom you will interact again in the futureyour coworker, spouse, family, and friends.

Saying no to these folks might be especially tough since we like and support them. (Not to mention, we often need their aid too.) Collaborating with others is an essential part of life. The prospect of straining the connection surpasses our time and energy investment.

As a result, being generous in your reaction might be beneficial. Do whatever favors you can, and when you have to say no, be warm-hearted and clear.

Even after accounting for these social influences, many of us appear to do poorly in handling the tradeoff between yes and no. We get overly dedicated to activities that do not significantly benefit or help individuals around us, and certainly do not improve our own lives.

One difficulty might be how we think about the meaning of yes and no.

The Distinction Between Yes and No

The words "yes" and "no" are used so frequently in contrast to one another that it appears they have equal weight in discourse. In actuality, they are not just polar opposites in meaning, but also in terms of commitment.

When you answer no, you are simply rejecting one possibility. When you say yes, you rule out all other possibilities.

"Every time we say yes to a request, we are simultaneously saying no to whatever else we may do with the time," economist Tim Harford says.

When you commit to anything, you have already selected how you will spend that future block of time.

In other words, saying no now saves you time later. Saying yes now will cost you time later. The word "no" is a type of time credit. You keep the option of spending your future time anyway you wish. Yes represents a type of time debt. You must repay your promise at some time.

No is a choice. Yes, there is a responsibility.

The Function of No

Saying no is frequently regarded as a luxury available exclusively to people in positions of power. And it's true: rejecting down chances is simpler when you have the safety net of power, money, and authority. But it's also true that saying no isn't only a luxury reserved for the wealthy. It is also a method that can help you succeed.

Saying no is a vital ability to master at any point of your career because it preserves your most valuable asset: your time.

"If you don't defend your time, they will steal it from you," said investor Pedro Sorrentino.

You must say no to everything that is not guiding you toward your goals. Distractions must be avoided.

"If you extend the notion of how you use no, it truly is the sole productivity tip (since you eventually say no to every distraction in order to be productive)".

Nobody personified this philosophy more than Steve Jobs, who remarked, "People assume focus implies saying yes to whatever it is you have to focus on." But that is not at all what it signifies. It entails saying no to a hundred other excellent ideas. You must choose wisely."

There is a delicate balance to be struck here. Saying no does not imply that you will never do something fascinating, unique, or spontaneous. It just implies that you say yes in a concentrated manner. Once you've eliminated the distractions, it may make sense to say yes to any chance that may lead you in the correct direction. You may have to try a variety of things to figure out what works and what you appreciate. This phase of investigation is especially vital at the start of a project, profession, or career.

Enhancing Your No

As you continue to progress and flourish, your plan must evolve.

As you become more successful, the opportunity cost of your time rises. At start, you just eliminate apparent distractions and investigate the remainder. As your abilities grow and you learn to distinguish between what works and what doesn't, you must constantly raise your threshold for saying yes.

You must continue to say no to distractions, but you must also learn to say no to previously decent uses of time in order to make room for exceptional uses of time. It's a fantastic problem to have, but mastering it may be difficult.

In other words, you must gradually improve your "no's."

Upgrading your no does not imply that you will never say yes again. It simply implies that you default to saying no and only say yes when absolutely necessary.

"Saying no is so important because it preserves the possibility to say yes," says investor Brent Beshore.

The overall pattern appears to be as follows: if you can learn to say no to bad distractions, you will ultimately gain the right to say no to excellent possibilities.

The Art of Saying No

The majority of us are likely to be too eager to say yes and too sluggish to say no. It's worthwhile to consider where you fit on that range.

If you struggle to say no, the following method offered by Tim Harford, the British economist I mentioned previously, may be useful. "One method is to question, "If I had to do this today, would I agree to it?" he writes. It's not a terrible rule of thumb to follow, because every future obligation, no matter how distant, will ultimately become an urgent concern."

If an opportunity excites you enough to leave what you're doing right now, it's a yes. If it isn't, you might want to reconsider.

This is akin to Derek Sivers' well-known "Hell Yeah or No" technique. If you are asked to do something and your immediate instinct is "Hell Yeah!" then do it. If it doesn't pique your interest, decline.

It's hard to remember to ask yourself these questions every time you make a choice, but it's still a good exercise to do now and then. Saying no can be tough, but it is frequently preferable to the alternative.

As writer Mike Dariano put it, "it's simpler to avoid obligations than it is to get out of them." Saying no keeps you on the easy end of the scale."

What applies to health also applies to productivity: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.

The Influence of No

More effort is wasted doing things that don't matter than inefficiently performing things. And, in that scenario, removal is a more valuable talent than optimization.

"There is nothing so pointless as doing efficiently what should not be done at all," according to Peter Drucker.