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The Observatory
Exercise10 minOccupationalDiscipline

Say no with respect

See what makes no hard, practice a short and friendly no without an apology, and have the wording ready before you need it.

The path

How it works

  1. See what makes it hardWrite
  2. Recognize a strong noChoose
  3. Write your ownList
  4. Use oneWrite
Saying no is hard because we confuse it with being selfish or unkind. But a no to one thing is a yes to something else — your time, your energy, your own commitments.

Exercise in 4 steps, about 10 minutes. Doing it is part of Premium, which you try free for 7 days with no card. With Premium your answers are saved so you can pick up where you left off and look back at what you wrote.

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The evidence

Why does it work?

Practicing declining — kindly but without excuses — is the core of assertiveness training and protects your time and your boundaries. Formulating your refusals in advance ("if-then") makes them easier to use in the moment. Source: Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006).

Account, your first assessment with the hexagon and one new measurement every quarter are free. The rest is part of Premium: SEK 99 a month or SEK 699 a year, VAT included.

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