A useful request says what would count as enough.

Vague asks put the hardest part of the work on the person being asked. Without a stated finish, they have to guess at the scale, err generously or stingily, and then wonder whether they got it right. An unbounded request also feels larger than it is, which is often why the answer comes back no.

Before you ask for something this week, name the size of it: an hour, one read, two names, a look at the first page. People say yes to a shape they can see, and they can always offer more if they want to.