I believe as an entrepreneur, and also more generally as a human, the opportunities we turn down are just as critical to our success as the opportunities we embrace.

Because of opportunity cost (the idea that focusing on one thing comes at the cost of whatever else you're not doing with that time/money/energy), where you put your energy and attention, and also where you don't, is a really critical business question.

So today's business tip is: practice saying 'no'.

It's just like any other muscle, and gets more comfortable with practice.

If you're uncertain about it, start with very low stakes situations. Answer a spam call and tell them you're not interested. If you get recruiter emails, email them back and tell them that you're currently not looking for new opportunities. Find the lowest hanging fruit to practice saying no in person, on the phone, via email.

You don't need to be rude - perfectly polite is best.

You don't need to explain - "No" or "I'm not interested" are both complete sentences.

Practice saying 'no' in low stakes situations, so that it comes naturally when the stakes are high.