Just Say No: It’s NO-vember!

Many moms want to be, do, and have everything. But as Oprah once said, “You can have it all. Just not all at once.”

 

Why do you suppose that some people consistently manage to get a ton of stuff done, while others regularly complain that they never have enough time?

 

It isn’t that those who manage their time well are any better or smarter – they just know how to focus their energy on what’s most important to them, and they give themselves permission to leave the rest.

 

 

Every time you say “yes” to something that’s not important, you say “no” to something that is. 

 

The first step, then, is to figure out what’s most important to you.

 

One way to identify this is to think about how you’d like to feel in your life. Do you want to feel calm? Energized? Inspired? Active? Another way is to examine the different areas of your life and determine your priorities.

 

Priorities constantly change depending on your current circumstances. For instance, your priority last year may have been to get your finances in order, but this year it’s to focus on your fitness.

 

Once you’ve identified what’s important to you, and a new opportunity presents itself, you can stop and ask, “Will this move me toward or away from that feeling/priority?” or “On a scale from 1-10, how much do I really want to do this?”

 

Understand that if someone gets upset because you say “no,” it’s because they’re thinking about their needs, not yours. Protect your time and energy for the things that matter to you because no one else will.

 

So, what will you say NO to this month? Birthday parties of kids you don’t know? Agreeing to chair another school committee? Going out with colleagues for dinner when you’d rather get to bed early? Tell me in the comments below.