Simply Your Life by Saying No

The average person lives a very cluttered life. We have
too much "stuff" in our homes, too many commitments on our
calendars, and our kids are involved in too many activities.
All of this clutter is weighing us down. Things need to be
organized and cleaned, planned and prepped for; its no
mystery why people are so stressed.

Even scarier is the fact that we continue to add more. We
buy more things that we don’t have room to store, we
volunteer for more committees, and we let junior find
another sport to play.

The ideal solution to this predicament would be to advise
you to spend some time clearing space in your life. Take a
weekend and declutter your house. Reduce all of your
involvement to the 3 things that support your goals the
most. And limit your children to 2 activities each.
Somehow, I think that advice would fall on deaf ears.
Instead I entreat you to simplify your life by refusing to
take on any more activities. The word No can be very
empowering.

There are 3 ways to say No:

1. No. This is the simplest method. Whenever someone
asks you to do something nicely say No. No explanations
are needed. No is a complete sentence. This also includes
saying No to yourself when you’re out shopping and looking
to start new projects. You must be consistent.

2. Let me get back with you. This method allows you to
put some distance between yourself and the requestor.
Often we say Yes to a request because we feel pressure. By
offering to get back with the individual at later time, you
create some breathing room that makes it easier for you to
say No. As a tip, if someone is pressing you for an
immediate answer, then it is in your best interest to say
No on the spot. If the situation is urgent enough that it
requires an immediate answer you may want to avoid getting
involved.

3. No, but I can do something else. This option is
excellent if you really want to help an individual but you
know your time is limited. For example, someone asks you
"Can you bring homemade cookies to the picnic on Saturday?"
You answer: "No, but I can stop by the bakery and pick up
some cookies." See the difference?