This One Word Will Change Your Life

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Your biggest opportunity starts with 'No'.

Every 'yes' costs you more than you think:

72% of professionals admit they struggle to say no.

Which leads to burnout and stress (Psychology Today).

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We’ve all been there:

Feeling guilty for taking a break.

Working late but still feeling unaccomplished.

Juggling too many tasks without real progress.

Stuck in endless meetings with no clear outcome.

Sacrificing our focus for someone else's priorities.

The key is learning to prioritize.

Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:

‘When and How to Say No'. 

Let’s dive in!

12 Additional Examples To Say ‘No’

1. Defer with a Plan

   • "I can't commit to this right now, but how about we revisit it next month?"

2. Prioritize What Matters

   • "Thanks for thinking of me, but I need to focus on my current priorities to ensure their success."

3. Delegate and Empower

   • "I’m not available for this task, but [Name] might have the capacity to take it on."

4. Clarify Constraints

   • "I’d love to help, but my schedule won’t allow for it at this time."

5. Suggest Alternatives

   • "I’m unable to participate, but I recommend [Option/Resource] to move this forward.”

6. Compromise on Scope

   • "I can help with part of this, but I don’t have the bandwidth for the full project."

7. Request Time to Think

   • "I need to assess my workload before committing. Can I get back to you by [Date]?"

8. Reflect on Trade-offs

   • "If I take this on, something else will need to be delayed. Are you okay with shifting [Project]?"

9. Politely Decline without Details

   • "I appreciate the offer, but I have to pass this time."

10. Set Expectations Early

    • "I’m not able to add anything new to my plate right now, but I’ll keep you in mind for the future."

11. Offer Limited Involvement

    • "I can’t take on the whole project, but I can give feedback on the plan."

12. Emphasize Long-term Commitments

    • "I’m currently focused on delivering on long-term goals, so I can’t commit to anything new right now.".

Set Boundaries from the Get-Go

A team I was consulting for was experiencing constant work overload.

Employees were working late, taking on too many tasks, and feeling drained.

As I dug in, I could see the issue stemmed from unclear boundaries with a new project manager who had just joined and was assigning additional tasks without fully understanding the team’s workload.

The team felt pressured to say "yes" to everything because they wanted to make a good impression on the new manager.

Over time, this led to stress, missed deadlines, and a drop in productivity.

The constant juggling of responsibilities without clear boundaries created confusion about priorities, and team members felt they couldn’t push back without risking their reputation.

Solution:

I implemented the “Set Boundaries from the Get-Go” approach.

First, I facilitated an open conversation between the team and the project manager to clarify expectations.

Each team member outlined their key priorities and work hours. We discussed which tasks were critical and which could be postponed.

The team agreed on a weekly check-in to review workloads and make sure new tasks were aligned with existing priorities.

Actionable Steps:

Be Transparent Early On: During the onboarding meeting, I encouraged the team to openly share their availability and limits, including what they could handle realistically.

Regular Check-Ins: I set up weekly meetings with the leaders and teams to re-evaluate the workload and make necessary adjustments, ensuring tasks stayed aligned with business goals without overwhelming the team.

Polite, but Firm Language: I coached the team to use phrases like, "I’m currently focused on X, can we revisit this next week?" or "I have limited availability for new tasks this week, but I can take on Y starting next Tuesday."

Results:

The open communication and boundary setting not only reduced work-related stress but also improved task management.

The team felt more in control of their workload, and the new project manager appreciated the transparency, which allowed them to make better decisions about task assignments.

By setting boundaries from the beginning, the team avoided burnout, maintained their professionalism, and built trust with their manager, all while increasing their efficiency and maintaining work-life balance.

Here's how you can make it real over the next 4 days:

Day 1: Choose Your Focus

• Choose one lesson you want to work on this week.

• Spend 10 minutes reviewing the lesson you chose.

• Think about how this lesson applies to your daily work.

• Ask yourself: What situations am I facing that this lesson can help with?

  • Whether it’s learning to say "no" more effectively, redirecting a request, or managing your workload better, clarify how this will help improve your situation.

• Write down one specific goal related to your chosen lesson (e.g., "I want to get better at saying 'no' when I’m already at full capacity").

• ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "I want to reflect on how I can [insert your lesson, such as "set boundaries" or "say no effectively"]. Help me clarify how this lesson applies to my current situation at work. I also need help setting a clear, simple goal for putting this lesson into action over the next few days.”

Day 2: Apply the Lesson

• Today, apply the lesson you’ve chosen in a real-life situation.

• Whether it’s saying "no" to a task, setting a boundary, or redirecting a request, take a small step that aligns with your focus.

• Find one opportunity to put the lesson into practice.

  • For example, use a polite but firm statement to decline a task, or suggest an alternative approach to a problem.

• Reflect on how it felt afterward.

• ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "I need to apply the lesson on [insert your chosen lesson] in a real situation today. Help me figure out the best way to approach a specific task or conversation I have coming up. I want to make sure I’m clear, respectful, and firm in applying what I’ve learned."

Day 3: Get Feedback

• Share your approach with a colleague or manager.

• Ask them for feedback on how your communication or decision-making impacted the situation.

• Choose someone whose opinion you trust and ask, "How did you feel about the way I handled [the situation]?"

• Be open to their suggestions and adjust accordingly.

• ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "I applied my lesson on [insert your chosen lesson] yesterday, and I want to ask a colleague or manager for feedback on how I handled the situation. Help me come up with a respectful and clear way to ask for feedback, so I can learn from their perspective and improve."

Day 4: Reflect and Plan

• Take a moment to review your progress.

• Think about how using this lesson impacted your work or stress levels.

  • Did you feel more in control?

  • Were there any challenges?

• Based on this reflection, plan how you can continue applying this lesson moving forward.

• Write down two or three ways you can apply this lesson in the future.

  • It could be setting better boundaries, offering alternatives, or adjusting your approach based on feedback.

• ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "I want to reflect on how using the lesson on [insert your chosen lesson] worked for me over the last few days. Help me identify what went well, what could improve, and how I can create a simple plan to keep using this skill in the future."

Saying "no" is not a weakness but a sign of strength.

It allows you to protect your time and energy for the tasks that matter most.

When you choose to say "no," you are choosing clarity over chaos.

Your time and energy are too valuable to waste.

Remember, every "no" you give is a "yes" to your priorities.

You cannot do everything—and that’s okay.

Until next week and with lots of love,

Justin

This Week’s Growth Recommendations

Book To Read:  

"The Power of a Positive No" by William Ury (see it here)

TED Talk to Watch

"Having the Courage to Say No” by Katherine Mulski (see it here)

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