There are some who would disagree with what I'm about to say but I am a people-pleaser. I want to be liked and I want people to be able to depend on me. Both of those are pretty simple, right? So, what's my point?
Well, in an effort to be likable and dependable, I have a tendency to say yes to an awful lot of what's asked of me, in both my personal and professional lives. As a result, I take too much on and then stress out when I can't meet deadlines or my finished product isn't up to my standards. Oh, did I mention I'm also a perfectionist?
You would think I would have learned my lesson by now but I haven't. I struggle to find the line between not doing my fair share and completely overtaking the entire project. I never want my teammates to feel as if I'm not contributing but I wrestle with coming across as too controlling when I just want to do it my way. And that's just at work!
I recently heard about the "NO-vember" challenge where, in the month of November, you are encouraged to start saying "no" to things. Obviously, there are things you'd like to say "no" to that you can't such as sitting in rush hour on your way to work, important meetings, making dinner every night, etc. But, there are certainly things you can start declining.
If there's anything positive that came out of 2020, it was the realization of how busy our schedules are. My evenings and weekends were always full of kids' activities or getting together with family or friends. Yes, I missed that but there's a part of me that now misses the simplicity of waking up to no plans. The kicker is, I have control over my schedule yet have already gotten back into filling it up as quickly as possible.
So, I will be taking part in the "NO-vember" challenge this month, starting by asking myself the following questions whenever something that requires my time and attention comes up.
Is this something I HAVE to be involved in or am I holding the reins too tightly?
Will meeting with this person help my company, career, family or wellbeing?
If I say yes to this, what can I take off my plate?
Is it time for you to starting saying "no"?
Author, Katie Pierce, is Marketing Manager and a Client Account Manager with The Resultants®. To learn more about Katie, visit our Team Page or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Saying "No" is One of the First Steps Towards Achieving Owner Freedom
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