Saying "No"

This past week I got really good at saying “No.” I said no to many requests of my time, my money and my energy. We say no for many different reasons. Why is saying no important and why should we say no?

Saying no is important because if we all said yes, we’d be in big trouble. This isn’t about attempting to knock you down with negativity - on the contrary - saying no can be quite positive. There is only one of you and only 24 hours in a day. You can’t possibly do everything, let along everything you’d like to do in a day. It’s just not possible.

Saying no is a form of decision making. Saying no is about being decisive. Saying no is about knowing where you are heading.

By saying no, we save time, money and energy from actions and commitments that would otherwise distract us or drain us or otherwise send heading in a million different directions.

Many times people have difficulty telling someone else no. We fear offending someone or fear the “set in stone” nature of the term - it’s very conclusive.

Telling someone no is actually showing them a sign of respect in many cases. If some asks you to do something for them and you really don’t have the time to do it - which is better, saying yes and doing a terrible job (or worse, not completing the task) or saying no with an explanation? I’ll bet that the other person would rather hear you tell them no up front. Saying no in this circumstance saves everyone time and frustration.

When are the appropriate times to say no in your business and life? What will you save by saying no? Will these times help you to know when to say yes?

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