Strategies for saying no effectively to allow for more deep work

Cal Newport is an author and computer science professor who is known for his work on productivity, digital minimalism, and the impact of technology on society.

His writing on ‘deep work’ resonates with academics because it uses and gives examples from academia and research and, in this podcast on The Art of Saying No, he shares several strategies for saying no effectively, including:

Acknowledge the impact that saying no will have on your life and how it can allow for important deep work and support you to avoid burnout.
Track the requests being made of your time so that you have data to draw on when prioritising (e.g. I’ve said yes to three peer-review requests this year already).
Recognise the emotional effort involved in saying no and that you’re not just taking the easy road out.
Be clear to be kind. Recognise that a firm no can be more helpful for colleagues as they communicate your boundaries clearly.
Have a structured process in place before deciding which requests to say yes and no to.

The “art of no” discussion is in the Deep Dive section of the podcast between 07:06 and 23:45.

All of Cal Newport’s resources are available on his The Deep Life website.

What will you take forward?

One thing to consider: What kind of deep work do you most want to protect, and what would it feel like to make significant progress with it?

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