How often do you feel there's too little day at the end of your To Do List?
It's an all too common refrain I hear from my clients: "I'm constantly tired, I feel overwhelmed... I just can't seem to say No."
One of the most useful lessons I've learned is, "It's easier to say NO when you have a much Bigger YES on the other side of your NO."
That's why I found this article in the 12/15/15 article in the Wall Street Journal so useful.
Personal policies are an established set of simple rules that guide your decisions and actions. On the surface, they offer a gentler way of saying no, as in: “I don’t take work calls on Saturdays because that’s my time with family.” On a deeper level, they encourage reflection, help to define priorities and aid decision-making, especially with in-the-moment requests. They can stop you from defaulting to that regretful “yes.”
Here are 3 Steps to make the Change:
- Take time today to reflect upon the year just finished and the one ahead.
- Write down a hand full of specific behaviors you want to change (no more than 3) and this time state them as a personal policy instead of a New Year's Resolution or good intention.
- Then share your new policies with two or three people close to you and you're on your way to a happier, more productive 2016 - - by saying Yes to what really matters to you!
