Carl Honore Quotes

Before the heart attack, I used to do a lot of work - what's needed and what's not needed. I used to sing songs that leave an impact and those that didn't. I could never say 'No.' Now, I have learnt to say it, though, and believe me, it has not been easy to do so.

Sometimes you have to say, 'I don't have to do everything that comes my way.'

I never refused an autograph, never refused to buy someone a drink. Now I'm learning to say I've got other things on, instead of doing it and wondering why.

When you arrive at a certain level it's very easy to say yes: that is the moment to learn to say no.

I think it's just as important what you say no to as what you say yes to.

What we say no to is sometimes more important than what we say yes to.

I'm pretty good at saying no to things, at discerning between what I'm supposed to do and what I'm not supposed to do.

I have learned how to say no, and I have to check myself all the time. I'm not great at it still. Women get criticized a lot more for saying no than men do.

You’ve gotta keep control of your time, and you can’t unless you say no. You can’t let people set your agenda in life.

Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.

I've had to learn how to say 'no' to offers.

I learned the power of 'no.' No is really important. Entrepreneurs are told to say 'yes, yes, more, more.'

I've learned, I think, to be able to distinguish between the necessary and the unnecessary as far as my limited outside time is concerned. Saying 'no' politely is a necessity if one wants to lead any kind of stable life.

One of the things I realized is that if you do not take control over your time and your life, other people will gobble it up. If you don't prioritize yourself, you constantly start falling lower and lower on your list, your kids fall lower and lower on your list.

Saying no frees you up to say yes when it matters most.

We need to start saying no to stuff.

When you really want to say no, say no. You can't do everything - or at least not well.

The power of saying no is so much more than the power of saying yes.

Best productivity tool ever invented? Easy...the word "no".

The only power you have is the word no.

My limits will be better marked. Both the limits I will set, and my own limits.

I don't do anything I don't want to do. There are so many opportunities that come my way, but if there's something out there that I don't want to do, I truly don't do it, because I have to maximize my time. If there's truly an opportunity to be quiet and be by myself, I do it.

I am incredibly, incredibly fortunate about the opportunities I've had. But at the same time, I've had plenty of opportunities to screw it up, too. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is 'No...' and not feel the need to do everything. It's about doing what rings true to me.

Sometimes we need to tell ourselves that we're not going to do certain things, just in order to stay sane.

I'm learning how to keep my identity and personal life sacred. It's a matter of knowing my limits. I don't have to give everything that's asked of me.