Have you ever agreed to speak at a conference (or attend an out-of-town meeting, or meet an acquaintance for dinner) in the distant future, then regretted it later?
Overcommitting is a common problem. With that in mind, when self-help guru Tim Ferriss spoke with 140 highly successful people for his big book of advice, TRIBE OF MENTORS, one of the questions he posed was how to say “no” to invitations.
Many of the mentors used the same strategy: Any time someone asks about a commitment several months down the road, they ask themselves if they would accept the invitation if the event were tomorrow, or later in the week.
This simple trick should make the decision easier. Most of us imagine our schedules to be wide open in the future, but that’s just because deadlines and meetings aren’t on the calendar yet. By pretending that the event takes place in the near future, the stakes become more concrete.
Find out what else Ferriss learned from his TRIBE OF MENTORS in today’s featured Instaread.
