Sarah loved being helpful. While this made her very popular with her friends, however the endless favors and those wanting her time didn’t leave much left for Sarah who’s own ambitions took a back seat.
That’s when Sarah learned that by saying “no” to most things she was actually saying yes to the things that mattered most.
This one idea changed everything for her. Sarah got her life back and now she could really design it the way she wanted.
How to Say “No” Guilt-Free
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a book to read or sleighing dragons at work, your calendar is your own and only losers have lots of free time with nothing going on. That’s not you, you’re no loser. Even your free time is booked. You need it to rest, recover and prepare your body and mind for your next adventure. It’s not a negotiation, when you’re booked, you’re booked. Simple as that. Technically, you don’t really have time to help unless it’s an emergency or a good trade. When that friend asks you for an inconvenient ride out of your way, bummer, can’t make it, I’m booked solid. Good luck!
Set Boundaries
Ignore the guilt trips and avoid these uncomfortable situations by filling your schedule to take care of your own obligations and opportunities period. Once people understand your time is incredibly valuable (and it is). they will really appreciate it when you offer to help, rather than expecting you to be open anytime they need something.
Value Your Own Time
The more you say yes when you want to say no, the less value you give to yourself and your time. You might feel like that makes you selfish, but you’re likely feeling that way because people who constantly ask you for favors have indicated as much on some level.
And here’s a real newsflash:
You don’t have to have a reason to say no.
Maybe you just want to lay around the house. Maybe you have a ton of your own goals to meet and things to do. It doesn’t even matter, because your time is yours, and not subject to the demands of everyone else. What’s worse is that while you’re doing everything everyone else wants, you’re not doing anything you want, which usually ends up making people feel resentful and frustrated. When someone asks you what you have going on that’s so important you can’t help them, you can simply say I told you, I’m booked. You’re swamped, tied up, stuck, no way you can help unless it’s positively an emergency and they better choose their favors wisely because real friends are there for each other in emergencies. But you don’t have time for favors or even to explain right now. The new you has way too many things going on, you’re booked, it’s that simple.
Enjoy the Moment
Eventually, you’ll enjoy saying no, not because you’re a mean, selfish person, but because you’re actually saying yes to things that really matter. Even building up your own energy taking in some much needed rest and relaxation really matters. It all matters. You need to build, store and use energy carefully to succeed so you can help a lot more people in the future.
Time is simply priceless and you can’t get it back.
This doesn’t mean neglect your loved ones. But freeing up your time from people who are really just being irresponsible means you have more time to be supportive of loved ones who really need you and ultimately, more supportive of yourself. Because if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you ARE the loved one you’ve been neglecting.