Make Room for Your Priorities: 4. Learn to say "no"
This is a hard one for most people, including myself. You don't want to disappoint somebody, but yet you already have too much on your plate. We have to remember that we cannot please everyone. Doing so is failure to define what is important to you. Saying no isn't necessarily a selfish thing; you need to draw the line between what is considered helping people and being used.
Here are a few ways you can say "no" without hurting anyone's feelings.
- Decide what you need to get accomplished in a given day or week and say no to whatever interferes.
- Think about how you say no. It's usually the tone in your voice or your body language that alienates someone, not the fact that you told them no. Say to them, "Thank your for the opportunity (or invitation); unfortunately, it is not a good time for me."
- Make it clear to people, when you are saying no, that it doesn't mean you will never help them. Be graceful and open to the opportunity to help at a different time. This will most always end in a positive experience.
Saying no is tough to do and I'll be the first to admit it. However, the more you do it the easier it gets. Do it in a graceful and compassionate way and you will not only have a positive experience, but you will create more time to spend exercising.
