The upside of NO

What not to do is just as important as what to do. When organizing my day planner, I listed several things that I want to eliminate as well as the things I plan to do. I need to say no to spending too much time on social media. I need to say no to accepting that invitation to a webinar that is probably a sales pitch.

In the real world, it's hard to say no sometimes. We think that "no" is such a negative word. Saying no to accepting the wrong client, (even if it pays well), saying no to that extra portion at dinner, are just some examples of positive "no."

When selling or negotiating, getting the "no's" out uncover more than"yes" as  Chris Voss points out in his best-selling book, " Never Split the Difference, Negotiate as if Your Life Depended on it." He also makes a cleaver observation, "Yes, without how is often a no."

Say "no" to bad habits, wrong friendships, time-wasting activities, and you will see the upside of  "no."