Hell Yeah or No
by Derek Sivers
Sivers's short essays on what is worth doing: the hell-yeah test, changing your mind, the difference between being busy and being important, and why he gives away his money. Each essay is a page or two. It is the best small book on saying no.
Read it if…
you say yes too much and want a one-rule fix with the reasoning behind it.
Skip it if…
you want nuance; Sivers is deliberately binary.
Three things you will actually use
- If it is not a hell yeah, it is a no.
- Busy is a lack of priorities.
- Change your mind in public; it is a sign of thinking.
Do this first
Apply the test to every request this week; if it is not a hell yeah, it is a no.
Our verdict
The best small book on saying no.
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