5 Reasons Why Learning to Say No Will Benefit Your Whole Life
“It’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. ”
To adopt new habits and focus on building your next-level self, you should make space in your life. Make space for further learning, exploring, and experiences.
The fastest shortcut to do so is to start using the word no.
You may wonder why learning to say no will benefit your whole life?
A major benefit is that you’ll have more time to focus on what matters to you. Time is probably the most valuable currency in the modern world.
Although many people acknowledge that saying no benefits them, why do they keep going to events they don’t want, watching movies they don’t enjoy, and not spending their time on top priorities?
If you’re in the same shoes, keep on reading.
The power of saying no can change your life.
Why is it Important to Learn to Say No
Saying no to a colleague, friend, or family member doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy their company.
It means that you prefer to do something else at that current moment.
And no, it doesn’t have to be this life-changing thing - working on a side hustle or learning a new skill. It can be as simple as watching the Gilmore Girls on a Friday night.
Maybe this doesn’t sound significant, but hear me out. If you want to stay home, watch TV, or need some alone time and rest, this will benefit you more than going to an event you don’t want to.
Also, when you spend time with your closest people, it’s good to be in your best condition. Feeling cranky will not spoil your night only, but your friend's night too.
Before saying yes to every proposal and gathering, ask yourself whether you're in the mood for it.
You’re already saying no. Maybe you don’t realize it, though.
Usually, when you say yes to something, you’re saying no to another opportunity. So, it’s not something new for you.
However, now that you’ve realized it, you can start consciously choosing what your priorities are.
Let’s dive deeper and see the five reasons why learning to say no will benefit your life.
5 Benefits of Learning to Say No
Set Priorities
The most important benefit of learning to say no is that you can set your priorities and stick to them.
It doesn't matter whether your goal is personal or business - you have to spend time working on it. If you say yes to everything, you won’t have that time.
Setting priorities means you’re consciously choosing what’s more important at that moment.
Show Up as Your Best Self
If you constantly try to please everyone, you’d barely have time to please yourself.
When you don’t have enough time for yourself, you stop showing up as your best self for others.
You may think that saying no to a hangout with friends is rude.
If you show up to make your friend happy, you won’t be in your best shape or mood.
By prioritizing yourself, you show up as a better person to your friends and family
To make your closest people happy, you should start prioritizing yourself first. This way, you have time to do what you want, take care of yourself, and enjoy and appreciate the time with friends and family.
Saying No to One Thing Means Saying Yes to Another
When you say no to one opportunity, you automatically say yes to another (and vice versa).
Unfortunately, we don’t have infinite time. Time is the only thing in life that’s limited.
An important skill is to learn to use time wisely and not to waste it on activities you don’t enjoy or find useful.
Denying one opportunity makes space and time for another. Think twice before choosing.
You Get to Know Yourself Better
When you stop saying yes to every proposal, you get to spend more time alone. You start prioritizing the activities you prefer.
You get to know yourself, your goals, and your views better.
When you understand what you like, want, and enjoy, you can design your life in a way that brings you more of that dopamine.
Probably the ultimate goal in life for most people is to be happy.
And the fastest shortcut to a happy life is to get to know what brings you joy. After you realize that, start saying no to all other activities.
Your quality time will change from okay to magnificent in seconds.
Increases Self-Esteem and Self-Love
Realize that you don’t have to do anything in life you don’t want to.
You have the power to say no. You own your time. Therefore, you can spend it however you desire.
Respecting your time, interests, and views increases your self-esteem and love.
Acknowledge that your opinion and choice matter.
No, you’re not selfish, and you’re not being rude.
You’re simply choosing a situation in which you have the power to set your priorities.
Your choice matter.
Learning to Say No is a Part of Self-Improvement
When you choose yourself and the activities you want to do, you pick to work on your next-level self. You’re becoming a better person.
You will benefit from this next-level self, but so will the people around you.
By saying no, you not only set your priorities but focus on self-improvement and becoming a better you.
Why You Still Can’t Say No
You already know some distinguished benefits of learning to say no. So, why do you keep on saying yes?
The most popular reason is that you want to please everyone around you.
You love making people happy. You do not express your opinion because you don't want to offend or hurt anyone.
However, when everyone around you is happy, are you? Why do you think you deserve to feel unsatisfied?
Well, you don’t.
You’re a great person, and your friends and family are happy to have you around them. And they already know that. So, you don’t have anything to prove to them.
Stop saying yes when you
actually want to say no.
Prove that you’re a great person to your future self by setting priorities. Work on the things now so you can benefit from the results later.
Another reason you might say yes to everything is that you want to take advantage of every opportunity.
There’s nothing wrong with that as long as you see an opportunity.
There’s a difference between an opportunity and having something to do.
If you say yes to every proposed activity, you may say no to some opportunities. Notice the difference so you can benefit the most from every situation.
How to Say No Without Being Rude
Saying no doesn’t mean you have to be rude to people, especially your close ones. The world can sometimes be cruel, so let’s try to be kind anytime we can.
There’re many ways you can say no without being rude.
Tell your friends you’re pretty busy in your day-to-day life. For example, you wanted to spend this Saturday night working on your side hustle.
There’s nothing wrong with being direct and honest to people. They would respect you more for that.
Politely, tell them the truth. You are allowed to have a personal life and do things to improve yourself.
Inspiring Quotes
If all my rant about learning to say no was not inspiring enough, here are a few all-time favorite quotes that will convince you to say no more often.
“You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say no.”
- Unknown
“Freedom is not the ability to say yes. It’s the ability to say no.”
- Unknown
“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” - Tony Blair
“Say no to everything so you can say yes to the one thing.”
- Richie Norton
“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” - Josh Billings
“If you want more time, freedom, and energy, start saying no.”
- Unknown
“When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” - Paulo Coelho
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” W. Clement Stone
“No is a complete sentence. It does not require an explanation to follow. You can truly answer someone’s request with a simple no.”
- Sharon E. Rainey
“Learn to say no; it will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.” - Charles Spurgeon
“Saying no can be the ultimate self-care.” - Claudia Black
“Simplify your life. Learn to say no.” - Anonymous
Learning to say no improves your self-esteem and self-love. You get to know and understand your goals and priorities in a better way.
Final Thoughts
Learning to say no is crucial, and it has the power to change your life.
Being more careful with the activities you choose to add to your schedule will free up more space and time in your life.
Now, you can do everything you said you didn’t have time for. You own your time, and you set the rules.
The book “Hell Yeah or No: What’s Worth Doing” summarizes the situations when you have to say no.
If you’re hesitant, then it’s a no. Don’t overcomplicate the simple things in life.
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I hope this article motivated you to keep on going with your wellness journey with more confidence.
Until next time.
- Mariya
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