When someone asks us to do something we don’t want to do, we often say yes even though we want to say no, because we think that saying no will feel terrible. But my guest, Dr. Vanessa Patrick, says the opposite is true: we actually feel great when we say no.
So why do we have such a hard time doing so?
Today on the show, Vanessa, who’s the author of The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life, answers that question and more. She shares how to categorize the asks you get into quadrants to determine whether you should say yes or no to them. And she explains how to give an “empowered refusal” — a no that’s phrased in a way that makes it less likely to create offense or pushback — so you can start saying no to the things that don’t matter, and spend more of your time on the things that do.
Resources Related to the Podcast#505: A Man's Need for Ritual
#504: How an Olympic Marathoner Trains, Eats, Recovers, and Stays Mentally Strong
#503: The Case for the 24/6 Lifestyle
#502: Why You Should Talk to Strangers
#501: Zero to Hero: From Bullied Kid to Medal of Honor Recipient
#500: Let's Talk About Death Over Dinner
#499: A Fascinating Primer on Norse Mythology
#498: Lessons in Persistence From Climber Tommy Caldwell
#497: The Meaning, Manifestations, and Treatments for Anxiety
#496: What Plato's Republic Has to Say About Being a Man
#495: Wish You Had More Time? What You Really Want is More Memories
#494: The Inspiring Story of One of WWII's Greatest Tank Gunners
#493: 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die
#492: How to Survive a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison
#491: Everything You Know About Passion is Wrong
#490: Can You Learn to Be Lucky?
#489: How to Get a Handle on Your Anger
#488: Fasting as a Spiritual Discipline
#487: Leadership Lessons From the 3 Greatest Ancient Commanders
#486: How to Get Better at Making Life-Changing Decisions
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free