Why You Must Learn to Say No

By Marcia Francois

One of my favourite experts on goal-setting, Gary Ryan Blair, said this: "success in life requires a short "Yes" list, and a long "No" list.
I tend to agree with him.

Whenever I coach time management clients or get interviewed on time management tips, one of the first things I tell people is this:

The absolute quickest way to get results with your time is to learn which things to say yes to and which to say no to. And the no list should always be longer. There are far more demands on our time than we can ever even hope to satisfy. From requests for time commitments to outside stimuli like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, telephone and text messages, the list goes on and on.

Remember, you ALWAYS say no to at least one thing when you say yes to something else.
For example...

• If you say yes to volunteering on 3 committees, you're saying no to one or all of the following: your family, your self-care, your exercise time, your household...
• If you say yes to that beautiful new pair of shoes you really can't afford, you're saying no to your debt-reduction plan and maybe to some more clutter!

No is such a small word but is often so hard to say.
 
The good news is that saying no is exactly like going to the gym and building some muscle.
It feels very uncomfortable at first but the more you work at it, the easier it becomes.
Saying no is exactly the same.
The first couple of times you will cringe inside as you hear yourself saying no, wondering if your family, friends and colleagues still like you.
Once you get a bit more practice, you start to get more comfortable and very soon, you'll develop an ease and grace about it.

Why should you say no?

1. It helps you set firm boundaries.
2. It helps you honour your values.
3. It makes you more productive.
4. It reduces your stress.
5. It frees you to serve where you're called to with joy.

I'm challenging you to SLOW DOWN and think carefully before you say yes to anything.
In fact, why don't you start saying, "let me get back to you on that" so you think clearly about the situation before committing yourself. And when you say no to things that don't support your goals, you're free to say yes to all the things that really do matter to you.

Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focused action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit http://purposefultimemanagement.com for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

Strategies to Stop Being a Procrastinator

Every single one of us will have experienced some degree of procrastination at one point in time or another. It cannot be avoided and it is often difficult to stop being a procrastinator. It becomes all the more difficult to get things done when we have too much to do and too little time to do it in.

Here are some simple ways to stop procrastination that you can follow:

Stop planning and start doing: Many of the time we get so carried away in the details of what we're trying to do, that we never get around to the actual task or job. It is important to not find yourself lost in the little things which are actually keeping you from doing the actual task at hand. Don't get lost in the wood for the trees, comes to mind.

Stop being overloaded: Sometimes saying no is important. When one too many tasks are on your head and shoulders, it becomes nearly impossible to do anything. You have to say no to some of your tasks (and people) temporarily or for good. You can't do everything at once. None of us can do everything.

Prioritize: The biggest reason for procrastination is the fact that people do not understand how to prioritize their activities and things to be done. When you do not know what actually needs to be done first, you end up being panicked and unable to do anything at the end of the day. Focus, prioritize one activity at a time.

Need to be perfect: People have all kinds of fears about getting their work done. One of the ways to beat procrastination is by deciding to do away with the ideal goal and instead focus on getting the task done. You can fine tune later when you have ample time but trying to be perfect every step of the way will only make you think way too much.

Fear of judgment: Most of us think a million times about the reactions of others before actually doing a task. This is not the best thing to do as it tends to make us lose focus. What is the worst reaction you can get for not doing something right? It cannot get worse beyond that point. Understand this and get going. Your own fears will be worse that what actually will happen.

Now that you have read through some tips for procrastinators, it will be easier for you to identify your own obstacles and faulty thought processes. As with everything, you need to have a clear idea of what you can do and when. Breaking down a task into smaller chunks always makes it simpler and easier to finish. It pays to stop procrastinating and start living a better life.

Learn more about EFT and Beating Procrastination
at http://www.howtostopprocrastinationwitheft.com
EFT can change your life.
To learn how you can stop procrastinating using powerful EFT techniques Click Here