From: alexhormozi
To achieve significant productivity and reach major goals, it is beneficial to enter a “season of no” [00:00:02]. This concept suggests that saying “no” to almost everything allows for immense growth and success in focused areas [00:00:13]. A “season of no” is not permanent, but a temporary period, which can range from three months to three years [00:00:21].
The Philosophy of “No”
Warren Buffett famously stated that the distinction between successful people and really successful people is that the latter say no to almost everything [00:00:04]. Similarly, Steve Jobs believed that focus isn’t about saying yes to the thing you need to focus on, but about saying no to a hundred other good ideas [00:03:06]. He was as proud of what they didn’t do as what they did [00:03:17].
While saying no can feel like rejecting others, it is crucial to reframe this [00:00:54]. The “no” to a distraction is a “yes” to the thing that matters most [00:01:03]. This perspective is based on the idea that achieving one really big goal will open many more doors in the future, whereas constant distractions can prevent achieving that critical goal [00:01:07].
Strategic Application of “No”
Prioritizing Goals (Warren Buffett’s Method)
Warren Buffett suggested a powerful method for prioritizing goals [00:03:38]:
- Write down your 25 top goals in life [00:03:40].
- Order them from 1 to 25 [00:03:45].
- Circle the top five [00:03:47].
- Tear off and discard everything below the top five, as those are the only things that truly matter [00:03:49].
During a “season of no,” all effort should be concentrated on the single most important goal out of those top five [00:03:52]. For the others, the focus should be on doing the minimum necessary to avoid moving backward [00:03:58]. This is analogous to bodybuilding, where one typically focuses on improving one weakness at a time [00:04:02].
Avoiding Opportunistic “Yeses”
As a business gains momentum, more attractive opportunities may arise [00:03:35]. These “opportunistic yeses” can seem lucrative, such as taking equity in a client’s business for marketing services [00:03:44]. However, such one-off or “onesie-twosie” relationships often introduce inefficiencies that detract from the main business focus [00:03:52]. An investor might view a business with many such “appendages” as indicative of an undisciplined entrepreneur unable to focus on the main thing [00:04:03]. Most plans, if pursued consistently to their natural end without distraction, are quite good [00:04:29].
Saying “No” to Work Below Your Pay Grade
Even for successful CEOs, there can be a tendency to hold onto tasks that could be delegated, especially if they don’t consume a full 40 hours a week [00:05:05]. However, spending 10 to 15 hours a week on tasks below one’s pay grade is two full workdays that could be used for higher-value activities [00:05:12]. Delegating these tasks allows a focused employee to perform them better and frees up the CEO to focus on strategic priorities [00:05:31].
Saying “No” to Family Obligations
Family “obligations” are often more accurately described as family choices or tradeoffs [00:05:40]. To achieve significant goals, one may need to temporarily reduce family contact, such as not talking to a parent daily [00:05:50]. This might lead to comments about being “too good for us now” [00:05:59]. However, it’s essential to allow others’ dreams for you to “die” so that your own dream can live [00:06:12]. Attempting to pursue both your goals and others’ goals for you often results in achieving neither [00:06:30]. The short-term “no” enables the long-term “yes” to a happy and successful life [00:06:46].
Saying “No” to Business Contacts and Interruptions
Interrupting communications, such as quick calls or “touch base” requests from business contacts, are particularly hard to decline [00:06:51]. The true cost isn’t just the 10-15 minutes of the call itself, but the time spent thinking about it before and after, which distracts from one’s own work [00:07:11]. Research indicates that switching between tasks can make a person four times less productive [00:07:23]. Therefore, each interruption effectively quadruples the time it will take to complete the original task [00:07:44].
Implementing the “Season of No”
- Sacrifice List: Instead of just a “to-do” list, create a “to-don’t” or sacrifice list. Write down the things you are willing to give up for your goal [00:08:24]. This involves making tradeoffs [00:05:54].
- Create Unavoidable Focus: Jerry Seinfeld, when writing comedy, would block out time where he was not allowed to do anything else but write [00:08:51]. He could sit there bored, but he couldn’t do anything except write [00:08:58]. This forces productivity by removing alternatives [00:09:22].
- Change the Environment: To change a behavior, it’s often easier to modify the environment rather than trying to change oneself directly [00:09:32]. Remove distractions and create a setting where only the prioritized work is possible.
By consistently saying “no” to distractions and focusing intensely on the most critical goals, individuals can accelerate their progress and achieve the success they desire [00:04:21]. This intense prioritization is a key differentiator for highly successful individuals [00:00:04].