We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot. Abraham Lincoln
Recently I have been noticing within myself and others the ability to say NO to requests for time, resources, focus...It is a good thing!
We are generally inclined to want to say YES. Well what are the implications to saying yes to everything? I personally, have had to really take a look at where my energy is invested. This has been made necessary because of several factors.
• I am a leader of a blossoming non profit with limited financial resources.
• I am highly creative and tend to split myself too much.
• I have a health issue, that forces me to manage my work and rest more than ever.
• I have many wonderful relationships that I want to invest in.
Each of these reasons I am sure you can relate to. My life is not much different than yours. We all have demands and decidign where to put out focus is a challenge.
Many years ago, I attended the Stephan Covey 7 Habits Training. One of the most powerful things I learned there was why to say YES or NO. What I learned was that when I say YES, I put my reputation on the line. When I say NO, I prove my trustworthiness. When we say yes, we should be aware that we are then being counted on. When we are saying no, we are saying we value and respect the request and know that we are unable to do the quality of work that is necessary at this time.
As someone who is generally highly energetic and well meaning, this is an area, I MUST be aware of and be willing to be clear about what are my intentions if I say to many yeses.
So today, I challenge you to say yes and no appropriately!
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