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Does anybody else have a problem saying no sometimes?
This has always been something I have really struggled with. I never want to let my friends or family down. Or anybody for that matter. I know, I know....Katie toughen up.
I never realised how much of a problem this was until I entered the final few months of my PhD and the pressure hit fifth-gear. All of a sudden, there was no energy left over for anyone else at the end of the day. There was no energy for that one 'quick favour' or 'just a short coffee'. There was no time for anyone but me. Just taking an hour to read my book or write this blog was a luxury!
And I was riddled with guilt! I felt like I was disappointing everyone by falling off the face of the earth and being selfish for a while.
But one night, Mum hired this very sad movie. It was a movie about a man who loses his wife to cancer. And I actually had to leave the room as I was just crying and crying.
Now, I am a sensitive person, there is no doubt about that, but even I'm not this much of a mush. And then I realised something. I was at breaking point.
There were so many demands on me and I was starting to get resentful and stressed. And I was becoming that big baby who couldn't even watch a film without dissolving into tears. I was having fantasies where I get on a plane and go live on an island by myself for two months so that I can just get. this. effing. PhD. done....without having to worry about disappointing anyone in the process.
I realised, I had two choices. One: end up sick with worry and stress from trying to do it all. Or, two (definitely two): learn to say no kindly to some of the demands and lift the guilt from my shoulders.
Mum gave me some advice and it makes me laugh every time I think about it. Do you remember the Interislander ferry ads? With the seagulls. See the ad here.
She said: 'every time you feel guilty because you can't be there for everyone right now, acknowledge it, and then let it go. Imagine that guilt as a seagull being blown off your shoulder. True friends will understand.'
It really helps!!
If you need some extra advice on how to say no, I have included an article on this topic that I liked very much. It is by Jess Lively and I think she makes some great points.
Much love xoxo
One of the most transformational skills in our careers (and life) is saying no to requests that do not truly support or inspire us.
Though it’s easy to feel like we need to say yes to people we encounter for various social reasons, this belief is often untrue. We are in charge of what we permit in our lives.
Though people may try to ask a lot of us, we are ultimately proactive individuals who determine what we do with our time, attention, and talent.
When an opportunity comes our way, the question is simple: Does this request make me feel excited or further my goals?
If agreeing to the request leaves you feeling resentful and it’s within your power to decline, it’s time to find the best way to say “no.”
Yet the art of saying no can be difficult to attempt, let alone master. As women, it’s easy to feel obligated to say yes to things that we’d rather turn down so that we don’t come off as cold, rude, or insulting.
But when done well, saying no can be far from mean. There is a way to communicate a negative response in a way that leaves the other person feeling valued and heard.
Here are three friendly “no” responses:
Not This Way
Sometimes a request is simply too large for us to take on. Perhaps we don’t have the time, resources, or interest in the entirety of the project.
In these situations it can often be best to simply adjust the request to the parameters we feel more comfortable with. Instead of agreeing to a guest post with 20 in-depth questions, you could ask them to select their top six questions for your interview. Or, perhaps you agree to watch your sister’s child for one day instead of the whole weekend.
Another way to say “not this way” is to refer the person to someone who may be interested in the full scope of their request. If you have a client who can not afford your graphic design rates, you can refer them to two or three other graphic designers who may be able to accommodate their budget.
Not Right Now
Another option when saying no is to say “not right now.”
If you are up to your ears in work during your busy season, it’s completely reasonable to ask for non-time sensitive requests to be approached in three months.
If a non-profit asks for you to donate your services to their charity auction, it is acceptable to politely decline and ask them to check back with you the following year. You aren’t saying no forever, you are saying no at this point in time.
No, Thank You
And last but not least, it is always okay to just say no.
You don’t have to give excuses, rationalizations, or white lies. You just don’t.
However, you can thank them for thinking of you. You can thank them for asking. Something like, “Thank you so much for reaching out and asking me about x, y, and z! Though I will politely decline, I wish you so much success with this exciting new project,” goes a long way.
Sometimes “how” you say no is more important than the no itself. Make sure your no’s are kind, considerate, and as helpful as possible.
See the original article here.