Hi Taz,
Last week, I challenged you to say no to one thing. How did it go?
If it went well, congratulations! That’s no small thing.
If it didn’t, I’d invite you to get curious rather than critical. What got in the way?
Maybe the words just wouldn’t come. That’s often the culprit. Finding the right words on the spot takes working memory and a bit of mental bandwidth, and those are the first things to go when we’re tired, stressed, or running on empty. It happens to me, too. When I’m at my limit, the quick, graceful “no” I rehearsed in my head is nowhere to be found.
So this week, let’s take that pressure off your brain. Here are a few lines you can borrow, so you’re not scrambling to build a response in the moment:
“Thanks so much for asking. Unfortunately, I have a full schedule that day.”
“I’m afraid I’ve said ‘yes’ to too many things, and now I have to say ‘no’ to you. Darn!”
“I’ve made a firm decision to spend more time with my family in the evenings, so I’m not available for night meetings.”
“Right now, I’m (chairing two other committees), and I simply won’t be able to give your project the time it deserves.”
“I’m honoured you believe in me so deeply, but there are other people in the world who are far better at (editing your poem, taking care of your cat, running the Fun Fair).”
“I’ll check my calendar, but I doubt it will work for me. This year/month/week is absolutely slammed!”
Try this: pick the one that sounds most like you, and save it in your phone notes or tuck it somewhere you’ll see it. Having it ready means you won’t have to find the words when your energy is lowest.
Then give it a try and hit reply to let me know how it went.
Warmly,
Erin