Learn to Say No Better by Thinking If You Can Handle the Task Today
Sometimes it can be difficult to remember that saying “yes” to something means saying “no” to something else. To keep this in mind the next time you are approached with an opportunity, ask yourself, “If I had to do this today, would I agree to it?”
Think about how you plan to fit into your schedule, what you may have to give up or give up, and if it is worth it. Ideally, this will help you immediately feel the potential irritation of commitment and prevent you from doing something you would not want to do.
Unfortunately, this question doesn’t work if a task or commitment takes more than one day (although you can still pretend it’s the first day of a longer commitment and project it to a week or a month). To measure interest, you can also consider whether your reaction will be a moderate yes or a loud “ Damn it! “
The Power to Say No | Tim Harford