Cover Photo By @r3dmax: https://unsplash.com/photos/xgTMSz6kegE
Bonus: Say “No” to scrolling through photos of cute puppies on the internet.
A lot of people think “success” is about saying “yes” to the right stuff. Well, that’s one side of a coin. There are many things we say “yes” to that we really should be saying “no” to.
I do many things in life, and all that started with the 3 skills I learn every month. If you read the story, you would think I’m a “yes” man, but truth be told, I’m a professional “no” man.
Personality
1. Mediocrity
You’re almost always better than you think you are.
“I’d rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocracy” — https://boldomatic.com/p/SRmdTA/i-d-rather-choke-on-greatness-than-nibble-on-mediocracy
2. Procrastination
Stop thinking, start doing.
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” — Marcus Aurelius
3. Talking Shit About Yourself
Be positive. Don’t seek loathing, seek improvement.
“Don’t wish it was easier wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom.” — Jim Rohn
“Just remember; someone loves everything you hate about yourself” — Frank Ocean
4. Selfishness
Be a giver. Be happier.
“Selfish people end up having only their self.” — http://www.lovequotesmessages.com/selfish-quotes/
5. Perfection
Don’t waste time on perfection. Great is good enough.
6. Excuses
Ask why three times and you’ll know the real reason.
“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses” — George Washington Carver
7. Always Comparing To Others
Spend time on self-improvement over fascination over competitors.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt
8. Impulsive Decisions
Think deeper.
“Impulsiveness is the enemy of deep thinking” — https://www.askideas.com/60-best-thinking-quotes-and-sayings/
Health & Sleep
9. Unhealthy Food
The more you eat healthy, the tastier the food gets.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.” — http://www.quotesofdaily.com/quote-on-eating-healthy/quote-on-eating-healthy-nice-and-funny-food-quotes/
10. Skipping A Meal
Your brain needs all the good nutrients it can get to function optimally. Eat better, not less.
11. Taking The Car
The grocery store is 15 minutes walk away? Walk to it!
12. The Snooze Button
Be so focused on achieving your goals and set tight deadlines and you won’t ever think about snoozing anymore!
“You Snooze, You Lose” — smart people
13. Partying Every Night
Enjoy a party, but don’t forget your goals, and resting of course!
“Everything in moderation, including moderation.” — Oscar Wilde
14. Stimulants Before Bed
Don’t get in the way of a good sleep.
“Sleep is the best meditation” — Dalai Lama
Productivity
15. Long Commute
Waste as little time as possible on non-productive activities.
16. Distractions
When comes time to be productive. Shut any distractions down.
“You can’t do big things if you’re distracted by small things” — http://www.picturequotes.com/distraction-quotes
17. Blockers Of Personal Progress
Bad friend? Block. Netflix? Block. Video Games? Block. Unblock when comes time to unwind.
18. Reading Things You Don’t Enjoy
Seriously. You don’t have to finish everything you start! The author won’t know. Stop reading shit things, there’s too much great stuff out there!
19. Completing Useless Things
Plan things. Organize priorities. Do the ones that matter.
“Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.” ~ Peter Drucker
20. Planning Things That Don’t Need Planning
Planning is great and all, but don’t forget to execute!
“Just do it!” — Nike
Relationships
21. Takers
Say “yes” to givers. Give yourself.
“Know the difference between those who stay to feed the soil and those who come to grab the fruit.” — https://www.pinterest.com/explore/takers-quotes/
22. Social Media
Uninstall the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram apps from your phone. BAM! I gave you back an hour of your day!
23. Talking Shit About Others
Always be honest. Don’t be a hater.
“Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.” — unknown
24. Listening To Complaints About Others
Gossiping is poisonous. Avoid people who spread it.
“Who gossips to you will gossip of you” — Turkish Proverb
25. Naysayers
If someone doesn’t have time for you, don’t find time for them. Relationships are mutual.
Work-Life Balance
26. Bad Routines
Don’t get stuck in a non-productive routine. You can change things around.
27. Meetings Without An Agenda
These tend to last too long and have no focus. No sense of direction. Avoid them.
28. Overly Long Team Meetings
Bring people back on track or leave. Seems rude, but in the long run, people will thank you for it.
29. Bad Clients
To hell with the good money. If a client is not good to you, focus your energy on the good clients.
“It is better to starve than get a bad client.” — Massimo Vignelli
30. Good
Say “yes” to great.
“Good is the enemy of great” — Jim Collins
31. Cluttered Environment
Have a clean workspace, both physically, mentally and on your computer.
32. Responding To Messages Ad-hoc
As much as possible set blocks of times to answer messages.
33. Doing Life Stuff At Work
Give your full attention to your work, it won’t go unnoticed.
34. Doing Work Stuff At Home
Give you full attention to your family, it won’t go unnoticed.
“When you work, work. When you play, play. Don’t mix the two.” — Jim Rohn
35. Doing Things You Can Delegate
Find your superpower, delegate the stuff that’s outside of it.
36. A Bad Business Partner
Communication is key. Work things out or walk away.
“I can’t control your behavior; nor do I want that burden… but I will not apologize for refusing to be disrespected, to be lied to, or to be mistreated. I have standards; step up or step out.” — Steve Maraboli
Other
37. Your TV And Couch
Make your environment uncomfortable so you can focus on the things that matter.
38. Waiting For Things You Don’t Need To
Coffee machine? A traffic light when there are other options? A file upload? Just do something else!
39. Things That Don’t Work Towards Your Goals
Question the things you do. Better yet, question it before you start it.
“If it’s not a Hell Yeah!, it’s a no” — Derek Sivers
40. Comparing Apples To Oranges
Don’t waste time comparing things that don’t compare. It’s it’s quantified or qualified using a different set of attributes, it’s not the same thing!
41. Your Cellphone
Top productive people set their phones on Airplane mode for most of the day. For me, it has become a brick of sorts.
“Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we’re too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.” — Steven Spielberg
Conclusion
Feel like saying “no” now?
You can start right away!
Reading this article on your cellphone? Just toss it! Make sure to clap 👏👏👏 (up to 50 times) first though!
Learning to say “no” is a skill. Practice it. Master it. Become who you want to become.
You can do this!
Thanks for reading! :)