"Innovation is saying "no" to 1,000 things."

If you'd like to get better at saying no, try this:

Keep a list of things you say no to. Whenever you ignore a distraction or turn down an opportunity, add it to the list. As the list grows, you begin to feel a sense of accomplishment for your ability to say no and remain focused on what matters.

Turn each no into an achievement.

It's a self-help cliché that most of us need to get better at learning to say no. But as the writer Elizabeth Gilbert points out, it's all too easy to assume that this merely entails finding the courage to decline various tedious things you never wanted to do in the first place. In fact, she explains, 'it's much harder than that. You need to learn how to start saying no to things you do want to do, with the recognition that you have only one life.

“When you say no, you are only saying no to one option.

When you say yes, you are saying no to every other option.

No is a decision.

Yes is a responsibility.

Be careful what (and who) you say yes to. It will shape your day, your career, your family, your life.”

Pair with: The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No

Every time we say yes to something, we say no to something else—we just rarely think about what.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” –Steve Jobs

7. Saying yes too much
Most people are afraid to say no. Maybe you don’t want to let people down. Maybe you are uncomfortable with the word no. I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. What matters is this: If you keep saying yes, you’re living someone else’s life. Think about it. Deep down, we all know that’s true. We’re not even in control of our own time. Want to take full control of your life? Say no to a million things and yes to a few things that matter.

We have good reasons to fear saying no. We worry we’ll miss out on a great opportunity. We’re scared of rocking the boat, stirring things up, burning bridges. We can’t bear the thought of disappointing someone we respect and like. None of this makes us a bad person. It’s a natural part of being human. Yet as hard as it can be to say no to someone, failing to do so can cause us to miss out on something far more important.

The only way out of this trap is to learn to say no firmly, resolutely, and yet gracefully. Because once we do, we find, not only that our fears of disappointing or angering others were exaggerated, but that people actually respect us more. Since becoming an Essentialist I have found it almost universally true that people respect and admire those with the courage of conviction to say no.

I think it's just as important what you say no to as what you say yes to.”

“What will we say no to?” It is that question that will reveal the real tensions in your team. It is that question that will uncover the core trade-offs in your organization. It is that question that can deliver the rare and precious clarity necessary to achieve game-changing breakthroughs in your business.

Say no to many good things so you can say yes to a few great things.

The reality is, saying yes to any opportunity by definition requires saying no to several others.

What you say 'no' to is more important than what you say 'yes' to.