531. NO-vember Special: How to Say No Without Saying No

Every November, Jay Papasan dedicates time to exploring one of the most powerful productivity tools you have—the ability to say no. This year's "No-vember Special" dives deep into 11 different ways to protect your time, energy, and focus, often without ever saying the word "no."

From Steve Jobs' legendary turnaround at Apple to simple scripts you can use in daily life, Jay explains why saying no is essential for achieving extraordinary results. You'll learn how to anticipate requests, set healthy boundaries, delay decisions, and reframe your priorities so that every "yes" truly counts.

He also shares practical tools like the "Get Ahead of the Ask" method, batching decisions, and using alternate resources—all designed to help you focus on your ONE Thing while preserving your relationships and sanity.

Challenge of the Week:Identify one thing in your life or work that's not serving you—and say no to it today. Use one of Jay's 11 techniques to make your no both clear and kind.

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To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:

• How to say no without damaging relationships  

• Why protecting your yeses leads to extraordinary results  

• Jay’s 11 practical techniques for setting boundaries 

Links & Tools from This Episode:

• The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

• Follow Jay on Instagram

• Speakpipe.com/the1thing — Send us an audio note or feedback

• Free Resources

• Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email podcast@the1thing.com or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA