I want to say, “no,” more.
Not as in, “NO! I won’t do this,” but as in, “thank you so much for thinking of me but I really can’t commit to that right now.”
They say that the most successful entrepreneurs have the ability to say no. When I say no, it’s to create more clear space in my life. In my schedule to be exact. I would use it to have more down time and to give my brain a rest.
What would you do with more clear space in your schedule? Would you take time to ride your bike? Go to the beach alone or with family? (While I’m with family I can’t fib, I sometimes daydream of lying on the beach alone where no one is whining about getting sand in their peanut butter and jelly sandwich).
Because saying no doesn’t come easily to some of us, let’s practice together. Because at first it’s definitely not easy to say no if you’re not used to doing it.
So let’s learn how to say no and set boundaries, politely.
Some fun ones first:
I’ve the plague and it is contagious
My turtle needs me
I gotta catch up on Degrassi
It’s not you it’s my turtle (who needs me)
I’ve done a lot of research on the matter and it’s still a no
I have a hard time saying no because I don’t want people to think I’m not dependable. But the funny thing is that I know I’m dependable. So why do you have a hard time saying no? Is it usually the more we say no, the more people respect us. Here are a few that have worked for me so far.
So now the real ones that work really well:
I’m flattered you asked me but I can’t this time.
Thank you so much for asking but
I really appreciate you thinking of me but
Not this time but maybe next time
I can’t help you out but maybe Sally can fill in for me
If you'd like to work on saying no together to find some clear space in your schedule , call me!
Happy Organizing,
Amy