Hey guys, I’m baaaaack! I had the most amazing vacation, but now I am getting my nose back to the grindstone and have lots of fun posts planned to share with you all in the next few months. Today is an important post for me, personally. It is something that I struggle with on a daily basis and one of the things that I am continuously promising myself that I will work to become better with.
In case you hadn’t guessed by now, it is how to say no.
I am a “yes man.” The one who can never say no, regardless of the task that is asked of me and how little time I have to devote to anything else. If I am asked, I’ll say yes. And while that can be a good thing, it can also add way too much to an already full plate and make a person feel like they are just treading water and will never be above the surface again.
Between being the PTO president at my kid’s school, a key spouse for my husband’s unit, blogger, and mom of three (and dad when my hubby is away) I’ve got enough to keep me busy without adding more to it. So I am working hard to learn my personal limits and stick to them.
I have found that the best way to say no is to sandwich the information…good, bad, good. That’s a trick I learned back in my daycare working youth that has served me well my whole life. If you start and end the sentence with good information, people tend to not notice the bad info in the middle.
Always be honest. Never tell someone that you will do it if you know that you never will. It just sets you both up for failure.
Know your limits and stick to them. If you feel like you can help on a project for 15 minutes a day, but no more, then by all means, go for it. But make sure that everyone is aware of your limits and don’t feel pressured to do more than that.
If you need help saying no in your life, here are 10 examples that I have added to my own list:
- Not right now, sorry.
- I’d love to, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time.
- I don’t want to, but I’m going to have to say no.
- It’s not a good fit for me.
- You caught me at a terrible time and I’m not able to help.
- If I said yes, I’m afraid that I would let you down. Sorry, but no.
- I’ll have to pass.
- That doesn’t fit my schedule.
- No, thank you.
- I don’t love it, so I’m not the right person for it.
There’s no reason to be rude, just know what works for you and don’t feel like you have to take on the world just because it is asked of you. Remember that you deserve down time and a chance to do what you want to do too. So the next time you are feeling the pressure to say yes to something, keep these tips and examples in mind and stick to your guns. And please let me know if you have any other tips that you use…I’m always looking for more!
Speak Your Mind