It's so easy to say yes. YES to a sweet piece
of chocolate, YES to a colleague who asks
you for a small favor, YES to taking your
grandmother to the doctor. Innately, we all
want to please and be pleased. But this
pleasure doesn't last long when you take on
too much.
I personally see many people
(at times myself included) who feel the guilt
when the
things they've agreed to do seem so
daunting and time consuming that they can't
even see or do the things that are important
to them. They become perpetually stressed
and gradually unhappy. That's not a good
way to be.
So how can you help yourself reduce your
stress and get more pleasure out of life?
Learn to say "NO"! NO to things
that just
don't fit with who you are and what you want
to do in this life, NO to things that just aren't
really important to YOU right now, and NO to
all those things that you just don't feel right
taking on.
In my time management workshops, I
strongly suggest that people consider
spending more of their time on things that
are truly important to them, NOT to
others. It
doesn't mean you don't ever do things you
don't want to do; it means you become
mindful of what you choose to do and be
happier with the decisions you make.
It's incredibly rare that I've actually regretted
saying no, but I have frequently dreaded
saying yes. Use the power of NO to get
your
priorities straight. You'll be relieved you
did!
