Stop Saying Yes When You Want to Say No (Use This Simple Daily Practice to Set Boundaries Without Guilt)

For decades, IQ was considered a person’s primary predictor of success. However, in Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman challenges this assumption, arguing that emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in ourselves and others—is equally, if not more, important. Emotional intelligence (EI) determines how well we navigate relationships, handle stress, and make decisions. Without it, our emotions control us, leading to behaviors that hold us back. Fortunately, unlike IQ, Goleman contends that EI can be learned and developed.

This guide explores emotional intelligence and why it matters. We’ll discuss the nature of emotion and its effects on behavior, examine the five components of EI and how to strengthen them, and explore practical scenarios where EI can be applied to your own life. In our commentary, we’ll supplement Goleman’s discussion with input from sources like Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves and studies from other psychologists.

Do you feel that no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough? Are you often pressured to do even more—whether at your job, at home, or with friends? Do you sometimes feel that to do any less would mean letting everyone around you down?

In Laziness Does Not Exist, Devon Price argues that your drive to constantly push yourself is based on the lie that how hard you work determines your worth. This mindset creates unhealthy expectations and sucks all the joy out of your achievements. Worse yet, societal beliefs about work make us condemn ourselves for not living up to the high standards we create.

Price’s research in social psychology challenges many modern ideas regarding productivity and accomplishment. In this guide, we’ll explore common beliefs about hard work and laziness, how they poison different aspects of life, and how they’re especially harmful to marginalized communities. We’ll also hear from other productivity experts on the value of hard work and how far you can push yourself before doing more harm than good.

In today’s hustle culture, many people think the only way to live a productive and rewarding life is to work as hard as possible. This idea is so ingrained in our culture that many work to the point of near-constant exhaustion, sacrificing their mental and physical health. But according to business strategist Greg McKeown, there’s an easier way to get the most out of your time and effort. In Effortless, he expands on this one simple truth: Achieving your goals doesn’t have to be so hard. By simply taking the easiest path, we can be healthier, happier, and more productive.

In our guide, we’ll lay out McKeown’s argument that the easiest path to success is the most viable, and we’ll provide actionable advice on how to implement this idea into your daily life. We’ll also further explore McKeown’s main points by comparing and contrasting them to other ideas in books on productivity and happiness.

In today’s “hustle culture,” many workers end up ruining their lives in their attempts to get ahead in their careers. They sacrifice the time and energy they should be spending on their lives outside of work. In It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work, Basecamp founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson contend that there’s a better way to work: By establishing more reasonable, sustainable goals and business practices, companies can create a healthy, relaxed work culture that radically improves employees’ lives.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to build an organization employees would be thrilled to work for, without compromising profitability. We’ll detail the three qualifications to look for when scouting for any potential hire and explain why it’s vital to give your employees time to work in private. In our commentary, we’ll provide counterpoints from books such as No Rules Rules and The Cold Start Problem. Additionally, we’ll supplement Fried and Hansson’s productivity-related advice with ideas from books like Deep Work and Indistractable.

In The 5 AM Club, Robin Sharma contends that the early bird really does get the worm. He explains how adopting an early morning routine will activate your creativity and productivity, allowing you to discover your inner genius and maximize your abilities. By spending your first hour every day working on your mind, body, heart, and spirit, you’ll gain the tools to become influential in your field, achieve your goals, and create a lasting impact on the world. Our guide explains the principles behind the 5 AM Club, breaks down the basics of habit formation to help you jumpstart your new morning routine, and explores Sharma’s advice for sticking with this routine for good. We also go deeper into why some people find it easier to wake up at the crack of dawn, why you can’t stick to habits even when you know they’re good for you, and what other experts say to help you reach your full potential.

Right now, you’re not only reading these words. You’re also engaging in self-talk: your thoughts taking the form of words, all within your mind. Self-talk is the encouraging voice that tells you, “Nailed it!” after you rock an interview, as well as the inner cynic that grumbles, “You’re a failure” after you bomb a first date. In Chatter, neuroscientist and psychologist Ethan Kross highlights this last type of voice—negative self-talk, which he believes interferes with your happiness, health, and success. He argues that you can improve your life by quieting your negative self-talk.

In this guide, we’ll present Kross’s insights on self-talk and share his research-based strategies for managing its negative form. For instance, you’ll learn why seeking support from others may make you feel worse and why feelings of amazement quiet your inner critic. Throughout this guide, we’ll compare Kross’s ideas and strategies to those of other experts on self-talk. Furthermore, we’ll provide additional actionable steps for quieting your negative self-talk.

The Big Leap, by psychologist and personal growth coach Gay Hendricks, aims to help you overcome the psychological barriers to success and fulfillment. Hendricks asserts that, while we all have an innate call toward our most successful and fulfilling life, even highly successful people are often unable to achieve beyond a self-imposed limit, a “happiness threshold.” As you achieve greater success, Hendricks says you reach this threshold, which triggers self-sabotaging behaviors.

Hendricks explains how our happiness thresholds are established early in life, through the adoption of false beliefs, and how to identify your own false beliefs. He offers practical advice for applying this new knowledge to your life and relationships, in order to take the “big leap” into living your best life.

We’ll compare Hendricks’s ideas on happiness, limiting beliefs, and self-sabotage with those of other authors and experts, and we’ll explore the scientific research behind key concepts.

What if the secret to success is not chasing it at all? In Inner Excellence, performance coach Jim Murphy challenges our obsession with external achievements like winning games, earning promotions, or getting perfect grades. He argues that these traditional markers leave us constantly chasing the next goal while never feeling truly satisfied. Instead, real fulfillment comes from developing yourself from the inside out—mastering your values, beliefs, emotions, and focus. When you prioritize personal growth, you feel more purposeful, perform better under pressure, and achieve more lasting success.

In this guide, we’ll explore why it’s better to value personal growth over achievements, examine the mental barriers that sabotage your performance—from fear of failure to limiting beliefs—and share Murphy’s strategies for self-development. We’ll also compare his insights with other performance experts and provide additional tips for performing at your best.

In Who Will Cry When You Die?, self-help guru Robin Sharma wants to know if you’ll feel happy with the life you’ve led when you’re on your deathbed. Sharma thinks that most people lead lives they’ll regret because they focus on the wrong things—success, money, fame—and none of the right things—family, community, love. If you think you might have end-of-life regrets, Sharma provides a collection of pithy life lessons and advice to help you seize control of your life and turn it into one you’ll look back on fondly.

We’ve grouped those lessons into eight broader tactics that will help you cope with adversity, build self-discipline, spread kindness, and more. You’ll come away with actionables you can implement daily to make your life better and background on the philosophies, ideologies, and science on which Sharma draws.

Do you feel that no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough? Are you often pressured to do even more—whether at your job, at home, or with friends? Do you sometimes feel that to do any less would mean letting everyone around you down?

In Laziness Does Not Exist, Devon Price argues that your drive to constantly push yourself is based on the lie that how hard you work determines your worth. This mindset creates unhealthy expectations and sucks all the joy out of your achievements. Worse yet, societal beliefs about work make us condemn ourselves for not living up to the high standards we create.

Price’s research in social psychology challenges many modern ideas regarding productivity and accomplishment. In this guide, we’ll explore common beliefs about hard work and laziness, how they poison different aspects of life, and how they’re especially harmful to marginalized communities. We’ll also hear from other productivity experts on the value of hard work and how far you can push yourself before doing more harm than good.

In Rest Is Resistance, theologist and activist Tricia Hersey reframes the act of resting as a powerful tool for healing and social justice. Half call to action and half how-to guide, this book promotes rest as a way to reclaim your life from an exploitative and dehumanizing culture that values productivity over people’s well-being.

We’ll begin this guide by explaining why modern culture is harmful both physically and psychologically, and how it indoctrinates people to work themselves to death. We’ll then discuss the idea that rest is not just good for you, but is also an act of direct resistance against this toxic culture. Finally, we’ll review some of Hersey’s suggestions about how to rest in a healthy and restorative way.

Our commentary will further explore the roots and present-day manifestations of grind culture. We’ll also provide some data to highlight the impacts this culture has on people’s physical and mental health. Finally, we’ll suggest some actionables to help you begin healing.

Are you often bogged down by negative emotions? Does this keep you from getting what you want from life? In Letting Go, David R. Hawkins explains how to move from feeling stuck to being happy and at peace. He argues that if you release negative emotions and welcome positive emotions, you can improve your mental and physical health, strengthen your relationships, and invite greater success in all areas of life.

In this guide, we’ll look at common ways we avoid dealing with difficult emotions. Then, we’ll explore Hawkins’s strategies for identifying, accepting, and releasing unhelpful emotions and discuss the benefits of this process. Finally, we’ll examine how the energies of different emotions affect our lives. In commentary, we’ll explore alternative perspectives on dealing with emotions from psychology and neuroscience. Additionally, we’ll explore commonalities between Hawkins's ideas and those from various spiritual traditions.

Do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? That you’re constantly checking things off your to-do list but still don’t have enough time for the important things? Your problem might be that you’re doing a lot, but not doing the right things.

In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, presents a time management approach that focuses on priorities, or “first things.” This approach teaches you to use your time effectively instead of just efficiently—in other words, focusing on what you spend your time on, rather than just how much time you spend per task. You’ll learn how to identify your priorities, schedule your time at the daily and weekly levels, and collaborate with others to ensure the best possible results for everyone.

In this guide, we link Covey’s ideas to books and articles about leadership, spirituality, and even biology to help you determine what’s most important to you and why. We also include connections to other self-help books and business strategy guides to help you maximize your potential, both individually and as part of a group.

The Power of Now proposes that the only way to reach true peace and fulfillment is through being completely present in each moment you experience. There is a part of our mind, called the ego, that derails us by ruminating on the past, speculating about the future, clinging to our painful experiences, and insisting that we will be happy and fulfilled if we can just achieve this goal.

The Power of Now reveals that inner peace and happiness can’t be found in anything external, but rather must be found within by being present. Learn tips and methods for quieting your thoughts and fears to find fulfillment through presence.