The Value of Saying No

Do we ever have trouble saying “no”? I know that I have in the past and the older I get the more I realize how important it is for me to say no to certain requests.

Our time is limited and if we are to accomplish what we were meant to do on this earth then there are times that we must say no.

All of us have more requests coming at us daily than we can do. Is your to do list finished?

If it is then you do not need to say no, but if it is not then here are some reasons to say no more often to requests from others:

 

Develop Deeper Family Relationships

There have been times when I have overcommitted to work or other requests outside of work or family such as charitable work. If we say no more often and focus on our spouses and our kids we will have the time to develop deeper relationships.

At the end of our lives, I think that we will be more satisfied knowing we have had an impact on our family and enjoyed those relationships as opposed to overcommitting to activities that take us away from family time.

Grow Your Unique Abilities

God has blessed each of us with unique gifts and talents. At work, this could be leadership, management, sales, marketing, finance or some other abilities. The more we can use our abilities the more we can grow them not just for our benefit but also for the benefit of serving others with the gifts and talents we have been given.

To continue on this growth path we need to learn to say no to the requests that do not line up with the company’s direction, do not line up with our gifts and do not come as requests from our bosses.

Lead a More Balanced Life

If we want to live a more balanced life then we need to say no to time requests that not only come from other people but also come from ways in which we waste time ourselves. Many of these time wasters do not line up with our unique abilities or goals.

When life is balanced, we feel less stress and are more relaxed in our approach to work, family or other areas of interest.

Reach Your Goals Faster

When we spend as much time as possible working on actions that create progress toward our goals we generate the needed momentum to reach our goals faster. This creates an excitement and zest for life that is hard to slow down as long as we are saying no to the right things.

Create More Focus, Purpose, and Passion

When we say no we are able to focus more on what matters to us, which leads to an increased sense of purpose. When we are focused and working intentionally on what really matters we fire up even greater passion for the work we are doing. This benefits others because we have the opportunity to serve others with our gifts as we develop them more and more.

All of us have had trouble saying no when we should have in our lives but there is great opportunity in doing so. What other value have you seen in your life by saying no?