Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Stay Balanced: When to Say Yes or No

I have posted about this before and make sure to talk about it during my workshops, teleclasses and with my clients. Taking the step to be mindful of your priorities before you say yes or no to a request of your time is something I feel passionate about.
Your decision to get involved in various activities and commitments should not just based on availability, but also if the activity is congruent with your personal priorities and goals.
Possible areas to think about are:
-Family
-Self
-Career
-Spirituality/Faith
-Community
-Friendships
-Finances
-Home
Think about the areas which are important to you and maybe even rank them. What goals do you have in each area of your life? Are you happy in those areas that are most important to you? If not, what can you start to change today?
Taking the time think about these items will help you as you decide what you do and don’t want on your schedule. For example, if it is a goal to have more down-time for yourself and family, you should make sure you know how that is going to happen, be mindful of the activities you put into your free slots. As your life and focuses evolve, go back are re-evaluate.
For more Works-For-Me ideas and tips, visit We Are THAT Family.

7 comments:

~*Michelle*~ said...

Good stuff!

I struggled with saying "NO" for many years....then I finally realized that keeping others happy was making the most important people (myself and my family) unhappy as I was stressed, snappy and discouraged. Kinda like the "what is good about being the best if it brings out the worse in you" theory.

Heather at My Coupon Coop said...

Thanks for the reminder of the importance of prioritizing! I actually need to remind myself like three times a day.

momstheword said...

This is so very true. Often we say yes to things without even thinking about whether or not we can do it, or even should do it!

Tess said...

I say "yes" to way too many things. I think thats where all my grey hairs came from!

ConnieFoggles said...

I'm a yes person too. I like the categories you provided to help me to prioritize.

Helene said...

I'm often guilty of saying I don't get enough time for myself but the truth is I could schedule time in if I let other things go that weren't as important. I have gotten better about saying "let me get back to you" when people ask for my time...so I can have a chance to really think about it and how it will affect my time with my family.

Paula @ Organizing Tips For Moms said...

I wonder if it's just in a women's nature to say yes because we tend to be helpers? Helene--good tip! I have also said, "I'm sorry, that isn't going to work with our schedule." I found that you have to be really protective of family time!!

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