Bringing Balance to our “YES!”
The best defense to avoiding overcommittment is to learn how to say, "Yes!"
I know what you're thinking: But saying, "Yes!" is what gets us in to this mess!
No. Saying, "Yes!" indiscriminately gets us into this mess. Here are some guidelines to bring balance to our "YES!"
You've heard of impulse shopping. Rehearse - and then use - the following responses to reduce the chance of saying "yes" on impulse, then regretting it later.
- Practice this first response:
"That sounds like a worthy project. Let me think it over, check my schedule, and get back with you next week."
- Practice this second response:
"I understand your urgency, but I can't commit without giving this some thought and checking my schedule. So if you need an answer right now, then I'll have to say, ‘No.'"
THINK IT THROUGH
- Evaluate the opportunity as it aligns with your personal mission statement.
You need to know what your personal goals are in life before you can decide if an opportunity is a valuable use of your time. Your personal mission statement doesn't have to be formal or fancy. A mission statement simply helps you make objective decisions.
- Evaluate the opportunity in light of your schedule.
You only have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. You can't make more time. Be realistic. If you are scratching your head trying to figure out when you will have time to shower, chances are you've said "yes" one too many times!
- Make sure you get back with people in the time frame you set forth.
A reasonable person will appreciate you for not taking on more than you can handle. They will admire you for applying wisdom to your choices. But you will lose people's respect if you fail to follow through on your promise to get back with them.
- If you are unable to help, suggest other resources for them to pursue.
You may know someone who would do an even better job than you!
If you feel guilty about saying "NO!", check out the blog post from 5-20-09 for some helpful tips.