I admit it, I’m not great at saying no. But I’m getting better.
I realized it was an issue when I would enter a work week with over a hundred items on my calendar. I felt like a gerbil in a wheel, always running but never getting to a finish line.
My husband noticed too. So, he took out a blue sticky note and wrote “NO” in marker, and stuck it on my computer monitor. It was his way of reminding me that saying no is an option.
What helped me embrace “no” even more was the saying I continuously reminded myself of… Saying no is saying yes to something else.
As I gathered the resolve to say no, I would list in my head all the other things I could say yes to with that time. Hanging with a friend, helping my kids with their homework, taking a walk, or even focusing on a back-burning work project that inspires me.
We, as connectors, do what we say we are going to do, follow up, and follow through, but we can also stretch ourselves really thin.
So, we need to know how to say no. But saying no makes us feel guilty, unhelpful, and a myriad of other useless emotions that have us saying yes to things we really want to, but ought to be saying no to.
In order for us not to be over committed, stretching ourselves too thin, and burning out, we need to learn that saying no is a viable option.
We also need to know how to say no without putting the relationship at risk. That’s what this week’s success shortie video is all about. Listen in for more information on setting clear boundaries, whether the answer is yes or no.
For the record, that sticky note stayed on my monitor for over a year building this habit. Occasionally my husband teases that he will put it back up.
What technique, tool, or trick will you use to help build this ability?
