Summary: If you want to experience real freedom and success, do less. Not more.

I have a bad habit. Well, at least one.

Here it is: I have a tendency to try to do too much. There are many things that I have to do, should do, and want to do. Then there are all the things that others ask me to do.

Last year, I made it a focus to only do things at work that had traction. If I was doing something that didn’t produce meaningful results, I stopped.

I let go of goals, activities, strategies, investments, and relationships.

It was harder than I thought.

Most of what was on the list made sense to pursue. They seemed valuable. They weren’t random shiny objects.

I kept thinking that with just a little more effort, or time, or a few more dollars – it’ll finally work.

Last year, I started letting them go.

I had my best year ever. My business grew dramatically. So did my discretionary time.

To get there – I had to clean out the gunk that plugged up my life.

High Achievers Are Experts at “No”

Here’s why I did this. I had noticed something about high achievers. As a group, they tend to be goal-oriented. They are disciplined. They take action. That surprises no one.

But I noticed something else – they are ruthless about not wasting time. They are relentless about results.

To get there, they say, “No.”

A lot.

They know what they want to accomplish. They know what they need to do to get there. This helps them screen out anything that looks promising but brings little value.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” ― Warren Buffett

Your New Year Challenge

If you want to experience real freedom and productivity in life, do less. Not more.

This time of year, many think about their New Years’ Resolutions. Many build out their plans and goals.

Good practices. Keep doing it.

But this year, I’d to ask you a new question. One that may change everything for you:

What one thing, if I stopped doing it or took it out of my life, would have the greatest, most meaningful impact on the coming year?

Why Is This Hard?

Saying “No” can be very challenging. But why? Any one or more of these reasons might be why for you. You might:

• Be over-optimistic about what you can do.
• Underestimate what it takes to accomplish something.
• Be a pleaser – afraid of disappointing others.
• Struggle with a scarcity mentality, believing that if you turn any work down, the entire flow will stop.
• Be unclear about what you are trying to accomplish – so you can’t tell what does or doesn’t contribute to that goal.
• Avoid conflict or confrontation.
• Feel a personal responsibility when someone or something else doesn’t work.
• Be emotionally invested in a method and unable to see it doesn’t help.
• Not be willing to get help.
• Be afraid of change.
• Get a bigger buzz from pushing hard than you do from actually getting things done.
• Might have an actual compulsion or addiction.

The list could go on. But any one of these items can make it challenging to let go. Most of us struggle with more than one.

Six Steps to Say “No” and Find Freedom in Life

1. Define your 3-5 most guiding values. If you haven’t done this – take a stab at it.
2. Identify what you really want to experience or accomplish. This should be in line with your values but also very specific.
   • Notice if this is difficult for you. In many cases, when people struggle to clearly define what they want, it’s related to struggling with saying “no”.
3. Identify anything – any project, goal, obligation, behavior, etc. that functions as an obstacle between you and your goal.
   • What are the top 3 to 5 obstacles?
   • What is the top obstacle?
4. Identify anything – any project, goal, etc – that isn’t contributing towards the goal.
   • What are the top 3-5 non-contributors?
   • What is the top one?
5. Responsibly (but quickly) remove or mitigate the top obstacle and top non-contributor.
6. Don’t add anything new that doesn’t contribute.

What Do You Need to Say “No” to So That You Can Say “Yes” to Something Better?

This was such a powerful experience for me in 2021, I’m revisiting it in 2022. This time I’m calling it “Traction Plus”.

Last year, I just started to figure out what those “time-wasting” things were. They can be harder to recognize and accept than you might think.

In 2022, I plan to say “No” more quickly and more often.

As I get better with “No”, it frees me up to more frequently say, “Yes”, to what is really important.

So, here is my question again: What one thing, if you stopped doing it or took it out of your life, would have the greatest positive impact on the coming year?

Happy New Year!

Christian

In the podcast Thought Leaders Driving Returns (TLDR), I’m interviewed by host Hunter Guthrie about how important mindset is in leadership and about effecting cultural change in the face of transition.  LISTEN HERE.

Are you interested in learning more about becoming a successful CEO? If so, get a free copy of my book The Successful New CEO. Not a new CEO? I’ve been told by “old hands” that they felt any CEO should read this. So, click here to get your copy today.

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