41 Things You Should Say “No” to for a Happier 2020

Danny Forest
The Startup
Published in
6 min readDec 21, 2018

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A lot of people think happiness is about saying “yes” to the right stuff. Well, that’s one side of a coin. There are many things we say “yes” to that we really should be saying “no” to.

For a happier 2020, try saying “no” to the following things:

Personality

1. Mediocrity

You’re almost always better than you think you are.

“I’d rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocracy” — boldomatic.com

2. Procrastination

Stop thinking, start doing.

“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” — Marcus Aurelius

3. Talking Shit About Yourself

Be positive. Don’t seek loathing, seek improvement.

“Just remember; someone loves everything you hate about yourself” — Frank Ocean

4. Selfishness

Be a giver. Be happier.

“Selfish people end up having only their self.” — lovequotesmessages.com

5. Perfection

Don’t waste time on perfection. Great is good enough.

“Perfection is the enemy of progress.” — Winston Churchill

6. Excuses

Ask why three times and you’ll know the real reason.

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses” — George Washington Carver

7. Always Comparing To Others

Spend time on self-improvement over fascination over competitors.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

8. Impulsive Decisions

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Danny Forest
The Startup

Polymath. Life Optimizer. Learner. Entrepreneur. Engineer. Writer.