Count how many times this week you said yes just to avoid an awkward moment. That number is a pattern with your name on it.

Agreeing to dodge a few awkward seconds is a trade that looks tiny each time and adds up quickly. The cost turns up later, in a week with no room left in it, while the benefit was over in a moment. Counting turns a vague sense of being overcommitted into a number you cannot argue with. A number is also easier to change than a personality.

Keep a tally for the rest of the week, one mark per avoided awkward moment. At the end, pick the one you most wish you had declined and work out what you would have said instead. Then say that next time.