When the art of saying NO is difficult

When the art of saying NO is difficult

In From Aji, Productivity by AjiLeave a Comment

I t is a popular knowledge that one of the most transformational skills in our careers (and life) is saying No to requests that do not truly support or inspire us. Yet the art of saying no can be difficult to attempt, let alone master. It’s easy to feel obligated to say yes to things that we’d rather turn down so that we don’t come off as cold, rude, or insulting.

But there is a better idea; my approach would be to create Systems.
I think when it comes to productivity, you need to set up a system to be more productive rather than reflect on each incident and whether or not it was a good use of your time.

Business dictionary defines Systems as “An organised purposeful structure that consists of interrelated and interdependent elements, that continually influence one another to maintain their activity and the existence of the system, in order to achieve the goal of the system”.

For example, I keep my phone in the living room charging overnight. This is a system. I don’t get up at midnight and check email. I get a better night’s sleep and I am, therefore, more productive the next day.
There are other systems that can improve your productivity as well. Blocking off one hour every morning to write or work on projects. Close the door. Turn off the phone.
That is a system. So you don’t need to start your day and say, wow, I wonder how I’ll get the project done today. Let me look at my schedule and see if I can squeeze it in and hope that nothing comes up to interrupt me.

 

So this week, consider key areas of your life, put some systems in place and you won’t have to struggle with saying NO!

Don’t forget I am always here should you need help.

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

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