Saying no isn't about being disrespectful. It's about protecting your time. It feels weird to say no to someone who asked respectfully, but your goals are more important to you than theirs.
Drawing a line is essential to be able to focus on yourself.
Thanks you Justin. Being able to decline an offer professionally is also essential to protect your relations with other people or corporations. The key is to have a good balance between respect and your priorities.
Thanks, Charles. It's always about protecting your time, but I've found that a lot of people put the other person's time ahead of their own simply because they don't feel comfortable saying no. Hopefully, this template will help.
JOMO is a phrase I love, the Joy Of Missing Out. I practice it rigrously.
In terms of business, the favourite client of an early stage business is "someone who will pay me". The more we can, over time, get highly focussed on exactly who we work with (and nobody else), the better for our business.
I have been meaning to say no to a lot of corporate engagements when I should say no and hit the gym. Our retail batches are doing exceedingly well and negotiating with corporate POCs is way too much time consuming and it breaks the complete flow. I am thinking of diverting this energy into getting healthier this year.
No is a full sentence. Sometimes the situation deserves context. So, I’ll say no then couch it in a concise and relevant explanation. Typically, my no is a not right now. But at other times it’s just a full no.
Giving too much reasons as to why you can’t do something, instead of keeping it simple and to the point, protecting your boundaries, is more likely to trip you up in the long term.
Absolutely on your side regarding this. We all must understand it is ok to say "no". Becoming overworked, overstressed and pulled in a hundred directions, is not going to end well for anyone. As you stated, be kind, leave the door open, mean what you say and say what you mean. Great article, Justin.
Kinda crazy how the better you do in your career...the more you need the skill of saying No. And when you go from not having enough opportunities to suddenly having more than you can handle...saying Yes to the wrong things is what slows you down from growing your business.
Love the email template, going to steal this Justin.
This is template for way more than saying no to work!
This is a brilliant framework for being intentional with your own life and doing things on your terms. Tweek a couple of words and you can say no to just about anything.
Thank you for this and and another thanks for your Simple Rule with a High ROI - brilliant and something I'm keeping and reading every day
Saying no isn't about being disrespectful. It's about protecting your time. It feels weird to say no to someone who asked respectfully, but your goals are more important to you than theirs.
Drawing a line is essential to be able to focus on yourself.
Thanks you Justin. Being able to decline an offer professionally is also essential to protect your relations with other people or corporations. The key is to have a good balance between respect and your priorities.
Thanks, Charles. It's always about protecting your time, but I've found that a lot of people put the other person's time ahead of their own simply because they don't feel comfortable saying no. Hopefully, this template will help.
JOMO is a phrase I love, the Joy Of Missing Out. I practice it rigrously.
In terms of business, the favourite client of an early stage business is "someone who will pay me". The more we can, over time, get highly focussed on exactly who we work with (and nobody else), the better for our business.
I have been meaning to say no to a lot of corporate engagements when I should say no and hit the gym. Our retail batches are doing exceedingly well and negotiating with corporate POCs is way too much time consuming and it breaks the complete flow. I am thinking of diverting this energy into getting healthier this year.
I struggle with telling my employees no if they request the same thing repeatedly.
No is a full sentence. Sometimes the situation deserves context. So, I’ll say no then couch it in a concise and relevant explanation. Typically, my no is a not right now. But at other times it’s just a full no.
I like that, Bryan!
Feels awkward at first. Esp when you're early on in your career. But boundaries need to be set. We're all rulers of our own kingdoms.
Thank you 🙏🏾
Saying no shows clarity, strength and focus rooted in purpose. People who don’t understand that are likely struggling with boundaries themselves.
Giving too much reasons as to why you can’t do something, instead of keeping it simple and to the point, protecting your boundaries, is more likely to trip you up in the long term.
Keep it simple.
less is the new more.
simple question: will this give me energy or will this drain my energy? you will always get a very clear answer.
It's a great question to ask yourself.
Absolutely on your side regarding this. We all must understand it is ok to say "no". Becoming overworked, overstressed and pulled in a hundred directions, is not going to end well for anyone. As you stated, be kind, leave the door open, mean what you say and say what you mean. Great article, Justin.
Kinda crazy how the better you do in your career...the more you need the skill of saying No. And when you go from not having enough opportunities to suddenly having more than you can handle...saying Yes to the wrong things is what slows you down from growing your business.
Love the email template, going to steal this Justin.
Steal away, man!
The world needs the highest and best versions of ourselves.
"No" is the proverbial oxygen mask to that end.
If it's not "hell yes" in support of your bigger "why,"
then it's "no, for now."
Fantastic piece, man.
Clarity is huge and comes from addressing and overcoming fear. Saying no is an important, needed skill
Nice to see you here on Substack!
Learning to say “No” brought me a lot of peace in my life. It is such a freeing experience.
Well said. In my experience, the ability to say no is often what separates sustainable leadership from burnout. Thanks for this note.
This is template for way more than saying no to work!
This is a brilliant framework for being intentional with your own life and doing things on your terms. Tweek a couple of words and you can say no to just about anything.
Thank you for this and and another thanks for your Simple Rule with a High ROI - brilliant and something I'm keeping and reading every day