The Art of Saying NO!

For a lot of people, saying no to other peoples requests is a very difficult thing.  I call this the “Golden Retriever Affect”.  You want to make sure that everyone around you is happy, so you say yes to every request that is made of you.

By the end of the day, or the week, you feel so overwhelmed and stressed out, due to all of the new commitments, that you can’t seem to get anything started, and you feel like giving up, because there is no way to get everything done, and certainly not done correctly!

Overcommitting is one of the biggest reasons that we get stuck, and are not able to move forward on what really needs to be completed.  So, how do we learn to say no?

Well, politely of course.  A simple, “I am sorry, but my current work load, does not give me the time to handle this project and complete what I have already committed to.” will normally do the trick, and almost everyone will understand that, since they are probably overcommitted as well.

By not taking on more then you can handle, you will reduce your stress, and be able to complete your tasks, making you less anxious and happier.  Taking care of your happiness first will allow you to help others later.

I wish you success!