Recently, I learned that it’s okay to say no. This was one of those things that had to be learnt the hard way. After burning out I eventually grasped the importance of this two-letter word. I learned some valuable things, especially when and how to use this small but powerful word.
Some time ago, I found myself in the midst of the busiest week of my life. Time seemed to be against me and the workload increased by the minute. This was a pace that I was not able to maintain and, just like every other human being would have, fatigue took over and I got sick.
To be honest, I haven’t been sick like that in a long while. Having to think about what caused it or how I got here, my conclusion was clear: I was in over my head due to constantly saying yes to more responsibility. I had to learn how to say no and I wish I had said it sooner. Hear me out, this doesn’t mean being sick is an excuse to get out of things and to not do what you’re supposed to be doing, but saying no when you know you need rest or saying no when you know you are at capacity is very important.
I think the hardest part about it is knowing when to say no because often we want to make people happy or try and please others. Let’s face it, saying yes to as much as possible doesn’t help if you are operating at 50 percent when you should be at 100.
Knowing when to say no is always the hard part but if you know that you don’t have the capacity to handle it, say no just like me.
Don’t be a people pleaser. Learn to say no.
Godspeed.