06 Apr When To Say No
Say No To Almost Everything!
According to Warren Buffett, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”
Almost everything? Now think about your balance sheet of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, does your scale tilt in a certain direction? Without hesitation, I would guess it does in favor of Yes. Well, that has to change.
Natural Inclination
Most of us are programmed culturally or otherwise with the knack to please, the desire to satisfy and meet every demand even if it is to our own detriment. It is also known that when this desire is expressed without restraint it becomes a disease with dangerous repercussions and before long, it robs and limits each one of us from our best work and disposition. Sadly, more than ever, we measure success by our crammed schedules, tasks, and daunting goals.
However, I have discovered over the years that by saying no politely, firmly and without the common guilt, my output, work and focus has improved greatly. Saying No is paramount to living within our ‘WHY’ and if we lose sight of that we succumb easily to the whims and caprices of others.
To protect ourselves, we must embrace the art of saying NO.
“Learn to say No to the good so you can say Yes to the best.”
— John Maxwell“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.”
— Tony Blair
Saying No will help you manage the ever present fatigue, anger, frustration, bitterness, and resentment that often stem from a place of over committing, over giving and going beyond what is reasonable.
Popular Quotes
“A disciplined person not only knows how to say ‘no’ to themselves but ‘no’ to other people when they need to.” — Joyce Meyer
“Saying YES to Happiness means learning to say No to things and people that stress you out.” — Thema Davis
“When you say yes to something you don’t enjoy, you say no to things that you love” — Anon
When To Say NO
You might have to reprogram your mind a bit but saying NO to almost everything frees you up to focus on the more important stuff. So practice and get comfortable saying No. It’s OK!
So when should you say NO?
1. When you are tired, exhausted.
2. When you are over committed.
3. When you are over exposed.
4. When you are busy and focused on the critical tasks.
5. When you are under pressure.
6. When your life or health or sanity is at risk.
7. When you’ve spread yourself thin.
8. To any relationship — platonic, business or emotional that is antagonistic to your dreams and goals.
1o. To a job, that is destroying your sense of well-being.
11. When you’ve become a shell of yourself.
12. If saying Yes will lead to compromising your standards.
13. If saying Yes will make you betray promises or covenants.
14. If saying Yes, will remove your inner peace.
15. When you can no longer perform at an optimal level.
16. When you do not fully understand the rationale behind the demands.
17. When you do not comprehend your position or role.
18. When you are not ready.
19. When you do not feel like it (it’s ok).
Do you have more to add to this list? I’ll love to hear your thoughts.
By the way, here’s an interesting post on WAYS TO SAY NO by Adam Grant, read more here: 8 Ways to Say No By Adam Grant
Be well!
Dr. ‘Flo
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