THE FOUR THIEVES OF PRODUCTIVITY
1 . Inability to Say “No”
2 . Fear of Chaos
3 . Poor Health Habits
4 . Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals1. INABILITY TO SAY “NO”
Someone once told me that one “yes” must be defended over time by
1,000 “nos.” Early in my career I didn’t understand this at all. Today,
I think it’s an understatement.
It’s one thing to be distracted when you’re trying to focus, it’s
another entirely to be hijacked before you even get to. The way to
protect what you’ve said yes to and stay productive is to say no to
anyone or anything that could derail you.
Peers will ask for your advice and help. Co-workers will want
you on their team. Friends will request your assistance. Strangers will
seek you out. Invitations and interruptions will come at you from
everywhere imaginable. How you handle all of this determines the
time you’re able to devote to your ONE Thing and the results you’re
ultimately able to produce.
Here’s the thing. When you say yes to something, it’s imperative
that you understand what you’re saying no to. Screenwriter Sidney
Howard, of Gone with the Wind fame, advised, “One-half of knowing
what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.”
In the end, the best way to succeed big is to go small. And when you
go small, you say no—a lot. A lot more than you might have ever
considered before.
No one knew how to go small better than Steve Jobs. He was
famously as proud of the products he didn’t pursue as he was of the
transformative products Apple created. In the two years after his
return in 1997, he took the company from 350 products to ten. That’s