In a post on X, Leah Pierson shared that her friends made a pact to say “no” to more things. They created a punch card, and when someone set boundaries for 10 things, the other friends would buy them an ice cream. “In a pilot study, we found participants both said no to more things and got more free ice cream, she wrote.” I love this idea!
It is so easy to feel guilt or obligation that leads us to agree to do things that we don’t want to do or maybe shouldn’t even do. Tasks that fall outside our responsibilities. Donation requests that use social pressure to get us to contribute. Outings that don’t excite us. Taking on extra commitments when our plates are already full. We say “yes” to go along, be a good sport, not make waves, or because we’re too timid to speak up. Creating a punch card with peer accountability, tangible tracking, and a delicious reward is a great way to cause us to pause and consider an intentional response.
Maybe you can make a punch card with your friends or colleagues — or even reward yourself for establishing parameters to meet your needs. I see more ice cream in your future!
