13th August 2025
Resources available whether in terms of time, money, ability or capability are always limited.
To make the best use of our resources, we need to focus on what we can do best and for that, we need to eliminate and learn to say NO to everything else.
Steve Jobs emphasized the importance of saying “No” as a key to focus and innovation.
He believed that true focus requires deliberately declining many good ideas to concentrate on the most impactful ones. This approach, according to Jobs, is what allows a company to achieve true innovation and create products that stand out for their elegance and simplicity.
He famously said,
“I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”
We are in the process of Making our Business Plan for the next 10 years.
During the process, very early on, we decided that it is more important to decide what we will Not do than to decide what we will do.
Just to illustrate, we decided
> The kind of customers we dont want
> The kind of solutions we will not offer
> The kind of products we will not sell
> The kind of employees we don’t want
> The kind of business practises we will not follow
And many more such things.
The biggest challenge is the ability to say NO and knowing how to say it.
It’s almost never an insult when people make requests of you. They’re asking for your help because they trust you and they believe in your capabilities to help. So thank them for thinking of you or making the request/invitation.
Whenever required, I have always believed in saying No to the request, not the person.
Don’t reject the person, just decline his invitation & make that clear.
Let him know what you respect about him — maybe you admire the work he’s doing, or recognize his passion or the way he does his job or approaches a problem.
The particulars of your reason for saying No may make very little difference. But having a reason does. Be honest about why you’re saying No.
Some of us have a hard time saying no because we hate to miss an opportunity. And saying No always leads to a missed opportunity. But remember, it’s not just a missed opportunity; it’s a tradeoff.
Remind yourself that when you’re saying no to the request, you are simultaneously saying yes to something you value more than the request.
Both are opportunities. You’re just choosing one over the other.
It’s hard to say No, but in saying your Yes to most things, you may end up saying No to yourself and your needs.
Know what Not to do and stay blessed forever.