A Day Late, A Dollar Short

How to say "no" better and overcoming social media.

There comes points in life where time management goes out the window.

And this is why you’re reading Monday’s Scroll on a Tuesday.

But nonetheless, lets get into it.

Something to Read:

I can admit I’m good at a handful of things such as joke telling, weightlifting, and even Super Smash Bros.

But one trait I’m weak at is saying “no” to others.

And every couple of months I’ll go back and read a short, yet powerful blog post by writer and entrepreneur Derek Sivers on the power of saying no:

Use this rule if you’re often over-committed or too scattered.

If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, say “no”.

When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say “no.”

When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to really throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say “HELL YEAH!”

Every event you get invited to. Every request to start a new project. If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about it, say “no.”

We’re all busy. We’ve all taken on too much. Saying yes to less is the way out.

Now ask yourself:

  • When was the last time I said no to a request?

  • Have there been times where I’ve regretted saying yes to something? Who asked me? Why did I say yes?

  • What have I put aside due to saying yes?

Take a listen to one of my favorite podcasts of all time featuring Derek:

Something to Watch:

Overcoming The Pull of Social Media (Taken from JRE #1649​ w/Michael Easter)

We’ve touched on phone usage in the past, but let’s zoom out for a second and think.

I think of a cell phone as a modern-day swiss army knife.

A dozen objects that make one tool.

Yet this one tool has changed how we interact as a species.

  • Newspapers evolved to news feeds.

  • Photo albums are now camera rolls.

  • We say “I’m here.” instead of ringing the doorbell.

This isn’t a talk to dial screen time down.

But it’s being able to walk in a store without an adult rattle to keep you company.

It’s about being present. That’s the north star.

A Song to Listen to:

Louis The Child - Keep Moving

Listen to this track and many others on La Fórmula: A playlist by Modern Analects

Big thank you to one of our readers (Alfredo) for recommending the new name for the Spotify playlist.

A Quote to Think About:

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

Steve Jobs