“Sure, I can do that.”
“No problem; I’ll get
on it right away.”
“I can fit that into
my schedule.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
“Yes.”
Do these phrases sound familiar? Have you heard them coming
out of your mouth? If so, it may be time to reassess how many times you say
‘yes’ when you should have said ‘no.’
Today, I was listening to an interview with Michael Hyatt,
author of the best-selling book Platform:
Get Noticed in a Busy World. Michael is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson
Publishers and a leadership expert. He talked briefly about how getting in
touch with your bigger ‘yes’ can keep you on track so you’ll know when to say
‘yes’ and when to say ‘no.’ Like any good leader, Michael is a reader. And he
says he had read about this in a book. If you read Michael’s book Platform, you’ll see how he emphasizes
not to settle for less than greatness. You and I shouldn’t settle for less than
greatness either.
This reminded me of something I’d heard from Craig Valentine,
1999 World Champion of Public Speaking. He told a story to illustrate how
saying ‘yes’ to a good opportunity would have gotten in the way of his saying
‘yes’ to fulfilling a dream. In his story, he talked about how the good can get
in the way of the best. As a professional speaker and coach, Craig has learned
the value of saying ‘yes’ only to the best. If you’re a pro or aspiring
speaker, do yourself a favor and follow Craig on Facebook. (And, while you’re at it, follow me too!)
I’ll be honest. Sometimes I’ve said ‘yes’ when I should have
said ‘no.’ Why? Mostly, because it seemed like the right answer at the time but
I answered too quickly to make an informed decision. Sometimes I’ve said ‘yes’
because it was something I knew I would enjoy. Even then, the timing was wrong
for me and I missed real and more valuable opportunities. Is saying ‘yes’
getting in the way of your success?
While we’re being honest with each other, I’ll admit that at
times saying ‘yes’ really stressed me out. Maybe I wanted to do something for
someone but I really didn’t have the time or energy. And maybe because of that,
I should have said ‘no’ so that someone else could have completed the task.
It’s a fact that often when we overload ourselves, the quality suffers in our tasks.
And isn’t it better to do a task to the best of your ability than to do several
tasks of poorer quality? Plus, it’s much more satisfying and self-fulfilling to
do what we do, the best we can do. We get such a greater sense of
accomplishment. And, since we are selling ourselves everyday in everything we
do, shouldn’t we make sure every task measures up?
Next time you think of spontaneously saying ‘yes’ to a
project or a request, take a moment to think through it. A good way to do that
is to ask yourself the following questions:
- Why am I saying ‘yes’?
- Will saying ‘yes’ serve me well?
- Will saying ‘yes’ propel me closer to my dreams?
So, go ahead. Say ‘yes.’ Just be sure your ‘yes’ doesn’t get
in the way of the ‘yes’ that’ll make a positive difference in your life and in
the lives of those around you. Make sure your ‘yes’ is the ‘yes’ that matters
most.
Rock on,
Jean
Have a good story of how saying 'no' freed you up to say 'yes'? I'd love to hear more! Email me.
