Do you wish there were more hours in the day? Who doesn’t?
We sometimes see our lives as a juggling act. We keep several roles in balance as we are business women, friends, care givers, wives, mothers. How can we possibly do it all? Well, we can’t do it all. We can try to become better time managers, but that may lead us to adding more things to our to-do list and then we still juggle……., juggle……, juggle.
One thing you can do to help yourself find more hours in the day is to LEARN HOW TO SAY NO.
Here are a few ways to say no:
• Say: “I promised myself not to add any more tasks to my list today, I must keep that promise.”
• Provide a reference for someone else. “That is a good skill of Mary or Sam.”
• Suggest barter; get them to do something in exchange.
• Teach the person that they already know how to solve their problem. Encourage them; tell them “good luck, I know you are going to succeed.”
• If it is a boss, show the list of things you already have on your plate, and ask the boss to negotiate changes in deadlines.
• Say: “I am finishing a deadline right now; can you send me a note describing your request?
The juggling act does not need to take its toll on your sanity!
Carol-Anne Minski, PhD
Dr. C provides busy professionals with a focused plan for self-leadership that helps them manage their schedules to balance life and work priorities.
