Life Changing Advice: Just Say “No”

“No is a complete sentence,” Anne Lamott (author)

Learning to set boundaries on your time and energy is wisdom that comes with age and lessons learned the hard way. The earlier you learn to identify and set your boundaries around your time and energy, the better off you’ll be!

How to say it

You don’t have to explain, but if you feel compelled to here are some ideas of what to say:

• If someone tries to give you something, tell them “No, thanks. I’m trying to let go of stuff.”

• For an invitation you can say – “I appreciate you thinking of me! I won’t be able to join you but I’m sure it will be a fun event.”

• I promised myself not to …. spend money, take on more stuff, indulge, add more to my schedule, take on more than I can manage

• “I wish I could – maybe next year!”

Acknowledge the invitation and express gratitude for their intention, then the explanation of your no is about you – not them.

Conclusion

Learning to say no can be life-changing. You might even inspire other people to say no to things that will overwhelm them…things that take time, take up space and distract you from your priorities. Remember, when you say yes to something, you’re saying no to everything else you could be doing with that time.