How Strong Is Your No Muscle?

Issue #31

We made it to yet another Friday, the days are finally getting longer, and spring will be here before we know it. In my world, that means the quiet winter months will be behind us and the busy season will begin.

Which brings us to today’s lesson…

Learn How To Say No And Mean It

Once again, this is a lesson I’ll be working on right alongside you. 😂

As a “giver” and the only daughter/sister, I’m the one everyone turns to when they need something. And not to toot my own horn, but I’m a pretty great friend and even better problem solver, so I’m at the top of A LOT of people’s list to call when something comes up or they need some advice.

Before we get too far into it, I’m not suggesting you ignore your family and friends when they call, but I am suggesting setting some parameters for yourself and some boundaries to make sure you don’t turn into the “yes girl” and end up overstretched or burned out from taking care of everyone else.

In last week’s issue I mentioned the importance of self-care, and being able to say NO when something doesn’t fit within your schedule or align with your values or goals is a key part of taking good care of yourself. I’ve also heard it said that your yes doesn’t mean as much if you don’t know how to say no. Let that sink in for a minute. When you say yes, do you show up happy and present, or annoyed and resentful? If it’s the later, you’re not really helping anyone by saying yes when you should have said no.

And if the idea of saying no is still a bit of a struggle for you, try saying yes to yourself first before saying yes to requests from others. I’ve done this in my own life in the last few months by making Sunday my “do nothing” day. At the rate I go, go, go from Monday to Saturday, I’ve learned that I really do need to rest and reset on Sunday if I don’t want to end up run down every other month. Saying yes to myself and what I need may mean I have to say no to other’s requests if they fall on a Sunday, and that’s ok. Or, I get to decide what’s important enough to me to make an exception for.

So, where do you need to say yes to yourself more in your work or personal life?

And what might you need to say no to in the weeks and months ahead to make sure you’re honoring yourself first?

It does get easier with practice, and I promise the world won’t stop turning because you said no. 🙃

With you on the journey,