MJ Gonzales │Executive Chronicles
When we’re asking big favor the least word we want to hear is the big NO! No is perhaps a no-no mantra for the optimistic and idealistic individuals. After all we’re now in the generation of limitless possibilities so all you have to do is say yes when opportunities knock. However, uttering “yes”, even with sincerity, may also make negative impact especially your work-life balance, freelancing career or solopreneurship. So when your “no” means positive thing?
In a feature story of Trello; Tim Harris, the bestselling author of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” shared his ideas how become productive. He emphasized that people lose their “edge” because of their inability to guard their own priorities against others’ priorities. The renowned podcaster added there’s certain level of “yes” that you have confirmed in yourself before committing in something or someone. To clarify this, Harris also shared writer and entrepreneur Derek Sivers’ note about it.
“Those of you who often over-commit or feel too scattered may appreciate a new philosophy I’m trying: If I’m not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, then I say no.
“Meaning: When deciding whether to commit to something, if I feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” then my answer is no. When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to really throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say “HELL YEAH!”
Harris also warned that blocking distractions can deteriorate work-life balance, especially freelancers. There should be clear point where you work mode is “on” and “off.”
On the other hand, saying no is hard to do if it will affect your working relationship with your colleagues. Sometimes even in imagination, rejecting the orders of your boss is already nerve-wrecking. But for the Firebrand Group founder and “Going Social” book author Jeremy Goldman, it is doable if you know how to reject diplomatically and directly.
“It’s incredibly normal to feel uncomfortable saying “no” to a boss, supervisor or client, but there are ways to turn someone down while still maintaining a healthy and respectful relationship. The secret lies largely in giving positive, constructive reasons for responding in the negative,” Goldman shared on The Next Web.
