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Daily Leadership Thought #122 – Know When To Say No

April 18, 2011

Learning to say 'NO' - French By Design | Words quotes, Inspirational words, Learning to say no

About everyone I know these days, feels like there is too much to do and not enough time to do it.  They speak of the virtues of life balance but bemoan the difficulty of making this happen in their own life.  The problem is not time.  The problem often is how an individual views time and the decisions they make given this perspective.

How many books or articles do we have to read about someone who suddenly has minimal time left to live and they achieve clarity about what is important before we get the lesson?   When there is a true sense of urgency about time, the unimportant stuff usually falls by the wayside.  When there is a lack of time, it becomes easier to know when to say “NO” which creates space to say “YES” to the right things.

If you took a step back and honestly reflected on your perception and use of time, you would find that most of the stresses around time management are self-imposed:

I understand how difficult it is to say NO when you have been conditioned to say “YES”.  It seems so much easier to just say “YES” and deal with the consequences later, but it is not easier.  Time is finite.  Once it is spent, you never get it back.  Spend your time wisely.  Say “YES” to the people and opportunities that truly matter to you.  Avoid distractions.  Ground yourself in a personal value system that guides your judgment and lessens your load by embracing your ability to say “NO.”