If you are anything like me, you’ll think that the world is flying by in a whirl. There are so many demands on our time these days, and you need to make the most of your time to be doing the things that you want to be doing to keep you on track with your own life’s desires.
But you’ll find that other people are always trying to put their own demands on your time. I’m sure you can think of that work colleague who rather than learn how to do something for them self, they always manage to talk someone into doing the work for them. And that poor soul is then further behind with their own projects whilst the colleague has time on their hands to get on with other stuff. And they look as if they are achieving so much more that they truly are whilst you get chastised for not meeting targets and deadlines.
One of the very best ways to manage your time is to learn to say no. Saying no is a great way to control how you spend your time and take control back. Most of us don’t know how to say no because our parents taught us very well not to say no. If you have a younger sibling you may well remember watching your parents teach them that saying no is not an acceptable thing to do.
But you are grown up now, and it’s time to take back the power of no and earn more time in your day for doing what you really want to do. But what benefits come from starting to assert yourself and say no?
- You’ll Reduce Your Stress Levels – One of the worst things about over-scheduling your time is the stress that this will cause. Learning to say no automatically reduces your stress, even if the first few times you say no will be a little stressful. But after those first few times you will soon feel at ease doing it. The freedom you gain will soon overcome the fear of saying no.
- You’ll Be Seen To More Professional – No one person can do everything (despite some people seeming to think they know everything!).. If you already have something scheduled and can’t do something when someone is making requests, be polite but say no. Don’t even give a reason; just say that your day is already full. You will look more professional doing this than saying yes and then not being able to perform the job as you are trying to multi task.
- You’ll Get Better at Tasks You Really Want to Do – If you’re not spending time doing stuff you hate doing, you’ll get to spend more time doing things you want to do. That means you’ll get more practice and become better at the things you already like doing. Better to become a master at the tasks that you are interested in than trying to juggle so many other things that won’t even benefit you.
- You Get to Spend Time Doing What You Want to Do – No one wants to spend time doing things they dislike doing, but they tend to say yes due to the lessons their parents taught them. If you really want to spend more time writing or helping your clients solve their problems, say no to doing things you don’t want to do. If you can suggest someone else who may be able to assist then you will look as if you are assisting without doing anything.
- People Will Respect You More – Even really good people may lose respect for those who act like doormats. You probably don’t want to appear as a doormat; you’re just trying to be helpful. But even nice people will take advantage of those who say yes all the time. That’s why you’ll notice it’s always the same few people doing all the work in any group. The yes people, that don’t know how to say no and then moan that they are overworked.
- Saying No Gives You the Opportunity to Say Yes – This may sound like gobbledy-gook, but if you learn to say no to things that don’t advance your business or life in any measurable way, you’ll have more time to say yes to things that do. And maybe the next person who approaches you will have a great opportunity that suits you perfectly.
- You Won’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew – People who say yes to everything tend to get most things half finished, and never complete any tasks. They don’t mean to, but they get too much on their plate and end up not being able to do the tasks they agreed to do to the best of their ability. If you say no, you can avoid this embarrassment.
- Pause, Breathe Deeply, Check Your Calendar – In order to say no without a problem, when someone asks you to do something, even if it’s something you know immediately that you do want to do, make it a practice to take a pause, take a breath, and check your calendar. The act of calendar checking can give you time to give some thought to whether or not you want to say yes or no. You won’t look too keen, and you may be able to assess if it is actually what it seems.
Saying no can give you back enough time to create the life that you really want to live. If you’re feeling hurried and overwhelmed take the time to practice saying no. By saying no you’ll take control of your schedule and feel like you get more time in your day.
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