Have you ever been given an opportunity to take on an extra task in your personal or professional life and felt obligated to say yes? Perhaps your colleague or manager needed your help on a specific project? Or your friend wanted you to come out to dinner and drinks? Is it bad to say no?
Sometimes we are wired to say yes without considering the full responsibly that comes with agreeing to the terms. Whilst saying yes is an easy and positive response, the outcome can be problematic if you start saying yes to everything.
Many people are not clear about their goals and objectives in life and in their career, so they often say “yes” to all the opportunities that come their way. The result is a jampacked schedule full of things that don’t really matter leaving less time for the things they love and enjoy doing or are important in their careers.
This is very common among team members who are not clear about their goals and objectives, so they end up saying yes to all tasks and projects that they really don’t know how to do or like doing.
That is why we created this platform to help teams set clear goals so that team members can be confident in saying yes to tasks that they are clear about and are capable of achieving and actually contribute to achieving success for all.
So, when is the right time to say “no”?
If you are unsure of when to say “yes” or “no”, here are the things that you need to consider.
1. Listen to your body
If you are asked to do something, and you can say no, check in with your body first. What is your initial reaction? Do you think the opportunity being offered will have a negative impact on your emotional or physical wellbeing? Explore your feelings, perhaps you need to say no.
Listen to your body. Your body is wise. It will tell you what you need to do and if something is not right. If you don’t listen to your body, agreeing to something you shouldn’t have, could have a negative impact on different aspects of your life.
2. Ask yourself
When someone offers you an opportunity of any kind, ask yourself first, “Do I really want this?” Make a list of the advantages or disadvantages of both taking the opportunity or saying no. If you’re still not sure, share it with someone and ask what they would do.
3. Take time to consider
Avoid saying yes without a thought. Don’t be afraid to ask for time to think about the question or the opportunity being presented. Even though the answer to the question might be no brainer, it is still wise to take your time before responding. Taking the time to analyze the question or the situation will help you make a better decision. Make this a habit and see how this will affect your life and career. If you just say yes without fully considering the question you might end up wasting your time doing something you don’t really want to and is of no benefit to you.
4. Start with little things
If you are having a hard time saying no, start doing it with little things. This can be an up-sell offer from a store, a promo subscription, a gym membership, or an invitation to something you would prefer to miss. If you practice declining the things that you don’t really want or need, you’ll be surprised how it will make your life easier and happier.
5. No need for excuses
If a friend invited you to go out tonight but your body is telling you to take a rest, just say no. You don’t have to justify or apologise. People don’t really need excuses. Sometimes they just want to know if you are interested to come with them, to take the job, or do them some favor. Saying no is often enough for them.
But should you really need to explain, make sure to provide a reasonable excuse that is truthful.
Learning when to say no is a life skill that we all should master. This will make your life stress free, happier, and healthier and allow you to focus on what is important and beneficial.
For more information contact our consulting team.
Crisel Blenda Fernandez
Digital Marketing Consultant