Choosing Focus Over FOMO

How to Say No – The Secret to Business Growth and Personal Development

tree with text written in it saying: Just say no

I hope you had a great week.

If you are like me, probably you struggle with how to say NO to people and opportunities, but as we will talk about, this probably is preventing you from reaching the success you are looking for.

Why should I start saying NO more?

First, let me tell you a story.

Jim is an entrepreneur who loves new opportunities and doesn’t want to miss anything!

When a friend asks to build a project with him he tells him right away he is in. When he sees that someone is successful in a “new emerging opportunity” he quickly jumps right in.

He is now the owner of 8 small businesses, all of which depend on his attention. He is always switching between projects, and always looking for the next thing.

Now, let’s see how his old friend Tobin is doing…

Tobin knows how to say no. He is not looking for new opportunities. He knows that if he sticks to one project long enough it will out-scale any other new opportunity he jumps in. And the opportunities will only get bigger and bigger.

He only owns 1 business, not any fancy new thing, a simple business but since he is only focused on getting this one business product, margins, better and better. He now is the leader in his industry after several years, because he was able to say No to “opportunites” that he’s competitors couldn’t.

As you can see the ability to say No is a powerful skill in business, but not only in business. It can have benefits in any pursuit or goal in any other area of your life.

Saying No is knowing your priorities and your values, so you can focus on what you need to do and not get distracted with shiny new objects.

How can I improve this skill?

Here are some principles and tips to have in mind:

 

  1. Saying No is saying actually Yes: When you say No to a new opportunity you are not getting behind, actually you are saying Yes to the things you want to focus on and saying Yes to better opportunities further down the line.

  2. You can’t please everyone: You can’t please everyone, we all know this, however, we often seem like we “forget”. Very often is better to get a negative or positive reaction and stay true to your core and values, than try to please other people from the fear of rejection or disapproval, which will only lead to negative outcomes for both you and the other person.

  3. Just say No: Don’t say “maybe” or “possibly”, those can lead to misunderstood and often are perceived as Yes by other people. Stay true to your core and be clear in your message.

how to say no symbol
Source: Adobe Stock

Conclusion

A quick review.

We talked about why Saying No is important and how in reality it leads to better outcomes and greater Yeses further down the line. And we briefly discussed some principles and tips to have in mind to get better at this hard but powerful skill of Saying No.

I hope you got something valuable in this edition of Curiosity Fuel, and thank you for reading, it means the world.

It’s always an honor to be in your inbox, until next Sunday. 👋

— Idris Moura

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AUTHOR
Idris Moura

Creator and writer of the Curiosity Fuel newsletter. Exploring my curiosity and sharing ideas and frameworks to fuel your personal growth, without all the bullshit. Read my full story on About Me.

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