@AssumeTheAxiom I am not certified so it is better if you stay with him and if you want occasionally share something here and I will give it a take and then you can compare it. Pretty interesting.
@AssumeTheAxiom The smallest first step: make "let me check and get back to you" your default reply to any request, whatever you decide later. It builds the pause without needing a no. Practice on low stakes asks first, where the answer barely costs you. Reps matter more than difficulty
@AssumeTheAxiom The speed is the tell. The yes is out before you feel anything because it relieves the discomfort of maybe letting them down. That is the reward, every time. Saying no on reflex is just the same habit flipped. What you need is the pause, the beat where you actually get to choose