High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 753: Protect Your Peace: The Power of Saying No

Episode Date: May 26, 2026

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff explores why saying no is essential for protecting your peace, energy, and priorities. High performers understand that focus requires boundaries, and every yes comes at a cost. Cindra shares practical strategies to help you confidently say no, avoid overcommitting, and create more space for what matters most. In this episode, you'll learn: Why saying yes too often leads to overwhelm How boundaries help you stay focused and energized Questions to ask before committing Practical ways to say no with confidence Why "Every no protects a bigger yes" Power Phrase: "I say no with confidence so I can say yes to what matters most."   Quote: "You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage to pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically say no to other things." – Stephen Covey   To learn about the Mentally Strong Certification, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/certification/ To Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

Hey, this is Sindra. Are you a coach or business leader who wants to help others build confidence, overcome obstacles, and perform at their best? You can become a mentally strong certified coach and learn the proven system that I've personally used with Olympians, professional athletes, and Fortune 500 leaders. In this 15-hour certification, you'll gain science-backed tools to help people strengthen their confidence, reduce self-doubt, improve emotional control, and perform consistently under pressure. You'll also love. learn practical frameworks you can immediately apply with your clients, teams, athletes, and those that you lead. So whether you want to start or grow a coaching business, increase your impact

as a leader, or create a stronger culture within your organization, then this certification is for you. Applications are now open for the next cohort beginning June 1st. And you can learn more or apply at Mentallystrongcoach.com. That's Mentally Strongcoach.com. Hope to see you there. It's time to check in with Cinder Camp Off. Protect your peace, the power of saying no. Cinder, start us off with a quote today. This is a quote by Stephen Covey, and he said, you have to decide what your highest priorities are

and have the courage to pleasantly, with a smile, and non-apologetically, say no to the other thing. I like this one. How do you want to start today? Well, recently I was talking with a leader who completely dispelled overwhelmed, and her schedule was just so packed. She was exhausted, and he gets.

saying yes to everyone around her. And finally, she said to me, you know, I feel like I have no time for those things that actually matter most to me. And I think so many of us can relate to that because, you know, every time we say yes to something, we're also saying no to something else. And that might be our West, our self-care, our priorities, maybe our family, even our biggest goals. And so today we're talking about the power of saying no, so you can protect your peace and focus on what matters most to you. I totally hear this, Sandra. Why is saying no? so difficult for some of us? I think because most of us are people pleasers to some degree, and we want to help, you know,

we want to be liked and appreciated. We also want to avoid disappointing people or creating conflict. But when you are constantly saying yes, out of guilt or maybe obligation, you know, you end up feeling exhausted and disconnected from what matters most to you. So sometimes the real question is really, you know, what is this yes costing me? Okay, so how does this connect to high performers? and successful people? Well, successful people know

where they are their boundaries and where their focus should be and they know that they can't do everything so they intentionally protect their time and their energy and their attention. In fact, saying no is often what allows people to do exceptional work in the areas that matter most to them.

How do we know when we should be saying no? I think a few signs are, you know, when you feel overloaded or when you've crossed boundaries or maybe other people have crossed cost boundaries for you, when you feel resentment instead of excitement, or when you're just saying yes, simply to avoid discomfort. And one of my favorite questions is this, you know, am I saying yes because I truly want to or because I'm feeling guilty? And that question really creates a lot of clarity.

Sandra, what's the one strategy we can use to say no more confidently? Lisa, I would say get really clear on what you want to say yes to. You know, what are your goals, your purpose, your family, you know, your health or your passions because those become your filter. And often I tell people, you know, every no protects a bigger yes. So when you understand your priorities, you know, saying no becomes easier because you realize you're just protecting what's meaningful to you. Now you also talk about creating a stop doing list. What is that? Yes, I love this. And I do this a lot with the clients I work with. And we usually, you know, create to-do list, but we really only create a stop-doing list. And a stop-doing list really identifies

the things draining your time or your energy that no longer serve you, you know, things that are unnecessary, maybe unnecessary meetings or scrolling social media, or maybe times you've overcommitted, or where you're constantly responding to every request immediately. So sometimes, you know, growth isn't about doing more. It's about doing less, but better. So what are some practical ways that we can actually say no in our lives? Yeah, great question. One study, Lisa, found that just by saying, I don't, instead of I can't, helps people set stronger boundaries. So for example, I don't take on extra projects right now or I don't schedule meetings during family time. You know, it sounds more grounded and less like negotiable.

You could also say, you know, I'm honored that you asked, but I don't have the bandwidth right now. Or thanks for thinking about me, but I need the pass right now. And remember, you don't always, you know, need a long explanation to protect your priorities. How do you summarize today for us, Sandra? I would say saying no isn't selfish. It's strategic. So every yes costs you time, energy, and attention. So be intentional with what allows you, you know, in your life and be attention to where you're spending your time because you do need to protect your peace. You need to protect your priorities. And remember, every no creates space for a more meaningful yes. All right. What is the power phrase for this week? This week, the power phase is I say no is confidence so I can say yes to what matters most to me. And where do people give? more information about your work or to follow along on a podcast or maybe grab one of your books? They can head over to Dr.C-I-N-D-R-A-D-R-A-D-R-A-com to find more about our coaching and my speaking in our book. Way to go for finishing another episode of the high-performance mindset. I'm giving you a virtual fist pump.

Holy cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe. And you can head over to Dr. Sindra for show notes and enjoy my exclusive community for high performers. where you get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can add over to Dr. Sindra. That's D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A.com. See you next week.