How To Never Be Afraid of Hearing "No" Again (And Using It To Get Exactly What You Want)

You’re afraid of hearing “no” because it’s the painful reminder you might never get what you want.

It’s scary to be uncertain.

I felt this way too, until I heard this quote:

24 nos = $1,000,000,000

If you knew this was all it took, you’d try to collect “no” as fast as possible.

And you certainly wouldn’t be afraid of the word any longer.

Meltzer may use the word “imagine,” but this reframe is not an exercise of imagination but can be used in real life.

If you want to use “no” to get exactly what you want, you need to follow these 2 rules:

1. Rewire your brain to know you’ll achieve your goal with absolute certainty, no matter “how long it takes.”

2. Reframe the lens of “how long it takes” to the number of times you hear “no,” not the length of time.

Let me go philosophical for a second.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “knowledge is the antidote to fear.” We are fearful when we lack some critical knowledge. So finding the right knowledge is the key to relieving the fear of “no.”

Here is why these 2 rules matter in finding the antidote.

Rewire your brain to know you’ll achieve your goal with absolute certainty, no matter how long it takes.

Persistence is the most common trait in successful people.

Matt Higgins, the author of Burn the Boats, observed this trait repeatedly when studying the most successful people. They know to keep going and adapt to setbacks. But common sense says the same thing.

If you never give up, you’ll eventually get exactly what you wanted (you’ll just never know in advance how long it takes).

Reframe the lens of “how long it takes” to the number of times you hear “no,” not the length of time.

If you’re afraid of no, you’ll hesitate.

When you hesitate, everything slows. Instead, look to Meltzer’s quote. The space between where you are now and achieving your goal is a series of nos.

Persistence + the number of “nos “= antidote to the fear of no.