Saying No
Hey friend, welcome back to another episode of the podcast.
I am so glad you are here.
Today we’re going to talk about saying no. This is something that a lot of my clients struggle with when it comes to managing their time.
In this episode we’re going to talk about:
Why it is important to cultivate the ability to say when you want to
Why you’re maybe not saying no when you want to
Some practical ways to say no or reframes
So that you can protect and reserve your time for the things that matter most to you in your business and life. I always say that it is easier to say YES when you don’t know why you would say NO. Which is why I have my clients plan out their weeks so that their time is accounted for.
That way when a request comes through whether that be for business or personal reasons, they use their calendar as a way to see if they a) have the bandwidth and b) it falls in line with their goals. This helps them make an informed decision, one that they’re confident about and not going to regret when it comes time to follow through on what they committed to. Learning to say no can help reduce overwhelm because you’re not overcommitting yourself. Learning to say no also allows you to protect what is already on your calendar and your priorities.
There may be a lot of reasons why you’re not saying no when you want to. A few of the reasons I see with my clients are…
Not clear on their priorities so they’re saying yes to all the things
Fear of Missing Out. This may look like attending and event that doesn’t add direct value or revenue to your business, it only takes up your time and energy but you say yes because you don’t want to miss out. Maybe it is a podcast interview for a podcast where you wouldn’t be speaking to your ideal audience but decide to say yes because you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity. Fear of missing out causes you to operate from a place of scarcity. Thinking that the opportunity won’t happen again.
Fear of how the other person will respond to your decision to decline. This is huge. Learning to separate your decision and feelings from someone else’s is a valuable skill set that will help you continue to create space and clarity.
Saying yes on default. Maybe you’re in the habit of saying yes on default.
Some practical ways to say no or reframes…
Get clear on what matters most to you, what is a priority to you. Schedule everything because the calendar does not lie. If you don’t proactively direct how you want to spend your time you’ll be a boat out in the ocean hoping to get somewhere but no clear plan.
When someone asks you to do something, pause. Wait 24 hours before responding. Tell them “Thank you so much for the invite, let me check my calendar and get back to you.” This is helpful in letting the emotions settle.
Know that you are not required to say yes to anyone. The one person that you want to make sure you are saying yes to is YOU.
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