Saying no is something that can be so hard to do! Just like leadership, time management, and organized planning, saying no is a skill that can be learned to help grow and scale your business.
There are so many reasons why we say yes to things when we should really consider saying no. One of these reasons is the fear of missing out. We might say yes to things that we don’t particularly want to say yes to because we are afraid of losing opportunities. This stems from a scarcity mindset. Operating from a place of scarcity can make us feel like if we say no, we might never get a similar opportunity again, and we might be worried about being regretful in the future. We will feel confident in saying no when we learn to believe that opportunities are not limited!
Another reason why we say yes instead of no, is to people please. We don’t want to cause other people pain or disappointment. We also don’t want people to think poorly of us for not accommodating their needs. For example, someone may try to get ahold of you during your off hours, or pressure you to drop your other obligations for them. It’s important to stand up for yourself; don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of for someone else’s comfort.
When you take your business really seriously, you might start to feel that every aspect of it is really urgent. However, if you overwork yourself instead of just prioritizing the most important things, you’re saying yes to too many things. When you do this, you don’t show up as the best version of yourself because you’re spread too thin.
You know what a “hard no” feels like in your body. When you don’t want to do something, you feel resistance. When you say yes to something that you know should be a no, you are affirming to yourself that your needs don’t matter. It’s not selfish to make your needs a priority! Your wellbeing and mental health are important, so take time to think through your decisions, practice saying no when it’s appropriate.