NO-Vember.

Can you believe it's already NO-Vember?

30 tips over 30 days to help you get better at saying NO. That’s it.

After Day 30, you’ll be able to go from this:

To this:

Every November for the past 7 years, I’ve done the “NO”vember challenge. It started after a piece I wrote on the topic generated a lot of discussion. It was then that I realised this was information that could help a lot of people, and why I’ve made this 30-day Substack. It’s something that I’ll run in the hope that it will do some good for people like you.

The challenge is simple:

You will say NO to one thing for each day of November.

It doesn’t have to be a big thing. It can be as small as saying NO to that third round of margaritas. But as you practice saying NO, you will get better at it each day. (I’m aware we’re already at day 5… Sorry. I lost track of the year.)

30 Days. 30 Tips.

For the next month, if you sign up to

NO-vember

, I will send you a short tip with some additional resources to help you build your ability to say NO. I’ll share example emails, texts, and in-person conversational tips on not reflexively saying yes to every request, how to pause and think before reacting, and how to stem your people-pleaser tendencies.

You will also get links and references to research-backed ways to rewire your habits and subconscious tendencies that land you in the position of having too much to do and too little time. I will also quote other writers and researchers who have managed to distil the art of saying “NO” with grace.

Yes is easy. No is hard.

If you’re a freelancer, cultivating the ability to say no is especially difficult. You don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from, so you say yes to every opportunity that comes in. The problem is that your passion projects fall by the wayside, and you never get any time to finish them.

Your Homework for Day 1: is to generate a list of the things that have been put aside because you ‘don’t have enough time.’

List all of them. I don’t care where: Notes App, Yellow legal pad, sharpie on your forehead: whatever floats your boat. Just list every idea, creative pursuit, or passion project that has been on hold.

I hope you get some use out of these next 30 days. If you know a friend who might get some use out of this, by all means, share it with them.

See you at

NO-vember

.

- Jason

PS. If you reply to this email with a ‘no’ I’ll know you don’t need this. And I’m very proud of you.