Ever said yes when you really want to say no?
Many of us, including me, fall victim to this. The real question here though is, how do you say “no” without offending the other party or in worst cases losing your job?

We believe that we always have to say yes to opportunities. We fear that saying no leads us to miss out on money, fun, and other experiences. However, by always saying yes, we do not value our time.

Here are some simple tips that will help you to get started in practicing your No’s:

• Know you can’t please everyone.

• Tell yourself “It is impossible to please everyone”.
  Saying “yes”, all the time can be draining and you need to draw the line on when and how to say “no”.

• Reflect and prepare yourself to say “No”.
• The best strategy here is to have measures in place ready to say “no”. You can have a pre-prepared decision-making structure that should help you have a valid reason for saying no. You also need to properly take time and think about the request. Do you have time? Is it advantageous to you? What are the risks of saying yes or no? Be firm without coming across as harsh.

• Know what you are saying “Yes” to.
  By saying “no”, you are saying “yes” to other opportunities. So before you say “no”, know what you are saying yes to. When you think of all the things that you could do just by saying “no”, you may feel less guilty for saying “no”.

• Avoid details.
  In saying “no”, it is best to keep your reason short and simple.

• Just Say “No”.
  Not “maybe” or “possibly”, just plain “no”. There is power in being direct, there is no room for misinterpretation.

• Offer an alternative.
  Even though you can’t be of help you could offer suggestions. You could either recommend another person or suggest a way to have the task done.

Let’s not feel guilty for saying our No’s.
More the No’s ; more time for ourself. More self-Care.

Namaste!