Nate’s Notes 250: How “Protect Your Time” Reduces Opportunities | Professor Adam Waytz

I’m intrigued by Adam’s perspective on saying yes, which goes against much of the research and conventional wisdom about protecting our time. By saying yes to things, countless unexpected doors have opened for Adam. But of course, we must be willing to cut ties with projects that lack purpose or a reasonable ROI. And finally, being “easy to work with” is not just the right thing to do. It also reduces friction for others and creates a psychological preference for us in our colleagues’ minds, making us the first person they think of for future collaborations.

In summary, look to say yes, but cut ties when we need to, and be easy to work with. All simple ideas. Please take them seriously.

Adam Waytz Bio:

Adam Waytz is an award winning professor of ethics and decision making at Northwestern University, where he researches how people think about minds and the psychological consequences of technology. Adam received his BA in Psychology from Columbia University, his PhD in social psychology from the University of Chicago, and received a National Service Research Award from the National Institute of Health to complete a post-doc at Harvard.