Saying “No” and Saying “YES”

I’ve heard it both ways.

Say yes to every opportunity and you will open up so many door for yourself.

If it’s not a hell Yes! It’s a Hell No

So which one is it? 

To be honest it depends on your and what you need for your life. I’ve done both and while saying YES and NO have served me well it has shifted depending of what my personal and professional goals were.

SAYING YES

The beauty of saying yes means that you will go for opportunities you wouldn’t necessarily go for. This could lead to knew knowledge, new connections and a good time. Doing something out of your comfort zone is a great way to become more fearless.

THE DOWNSIDE OF SAYING YES

Have you every experienced FOMO (fear of missing out?) This was me at the beginning of my social media journey. I would see all these local influencers at these fun events and was desperate to go. One I got into that realm of being able to go and saying yes to everything- I burned out. I got tired of scheduling 3-4 events in a day, running around constantly trying to keep my energy up. When the social energy reserves are empty I’m done and need to go home to recharge (this is also known as a being an introvert.) Don’t stretch yourself so thing that there’s nothing left for you. Conserve your energy and be a little more selective in what opportunities you take on.

Here’s a few questions to help you narrow down what to choose:

• Is this the best use of my time?
• Does this align with my brand/values?
• How will this benefit me?

THE POWER OF NO

Saying No is one skill that has radically changed my for the better.

When I became a yes girl I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t know how to say No and the fear of confrontation was crippling. Despite the fear I hated the feeling of being burnt out even more.

Using the questions above will help you determine if this opportunity is worth while. There’s a few  criteria I give myself when it comes to replying back.

• Be timely, don’t take a week to respond. Be courteous.
• Give them a reason why.
• Be kind and validate them.

A practical resource that helped me was the Tim Ferris Show Podcast “How to Say No.”

I can’t tell you what to say  YES or NO to but do know there is a fine balance between to the two. I hope these questions help you on your journey to becoming more focused and following your dreams. Let me know how your path is going! You got this!