Did you know saying no is an ultimate productive hack? Surprised! Yes, believe me when I say you should master the art of saying no if you want to use your time to achieve your daily goals.

The biggest mistake we make in life is to think that time is free. It isn’t! It costs you a lot, your targets, your goals, your efficiency, your results, your achievements, and your success. Time is the most precious asset you have. Learn to use it wisely. 

So, how do you say no if you are one of those sympathetic, kind, always seeking other’s approval, and ‘I can’t say no’ type of personality? With a little patience and much hard work on yourself. Stay with me till the end, and I promise to change your persona from ‘people pleaser’ to ‘I use my time productively’. 

Why Do People Say Yes To Everything? 

Have you caught yourself saying yes to people when you wanted to say no? Did it ever occur to you to find the reasons behind your habit of saying yes to everything? Not many of us delve deeper to search for meanings, because there’s a good chance it may trigger some childhood wounds that we have nicely slid under the carpet. Isn’t it?

I will keep things simple for you to understand and apply in your daily life. So, let’s stick to the surface for the moment and look at scenarios where you feel obliged to say yes.

How many reasons did you tick from the above list? Even if it is one reason, you have work to do on yourself if you want to become productive in life.

But Why Say No When You Have Always Been Taught To Say Yes?

Since childhood, it has been deeply ingrained in our minds to say yes. As saying no means impolite and selfish. Parents feel the blow personally when their child says no for any task assigned to them. As if saying no by their child has raised a question mark on their parenting skills? It’s too much for Indian parents to digest, as everything you, their child, does is directly related to their upbringing. 

So, why unlearn the basics and learn the new fundamentals? Because what worked earlier doesn’t work any more. The world is competitive, frequently upgrading, and the only people who have learned to use their time productively will survive to taste success in their desired field. It stands true to all individuals, especially students and professionals. Managing your time wisely creates a healthy work-life balance, an essential in the times full of distractions. Learning to say no is the ultimate productive hack.

Did You Know Saying No Is An Ultimate Productive Hack? Let’s Learn How To Say ‘No’

As a student, you have your plate full. There is college/school, coaching, homework, projects, extracurricular activities, social obligations. How do you think of managing and doing everything in 24 hours if you keep accommodating? There should be some ground rules for yourself to invest your time wisely. 

When you can’t say no, it means you have trouble setting boundaries. Just like any other skill set, you can learn to create boundaries, and saying no doesn’t seem that difficult. Use the following tips to learn the ultimate productive hack:

• When someone asks you to do their work, take time to respond to their request. Slow down, think, and if you cannot stretch your schedule to accommodate their request. Decline politely.
• Set your targets for the day. This is an effective way to set your intention and keep a tab if you have any empty time slot to fit in others’ requests. If no, refrain from saying yes.
• When you say ‘no’, be firm and polite. No explanations are required. Once people understand you are not readily available, they will stop bothering you.
• Start by saying no to smaller tasks. And eventually, it will become easier for you to say no to big favours expected from you.
• If you feel guilty, saying ‘no’ to someone’s request, practice saying no in front of the mirror. This is just to get you in a habit of saying ‘no’ and save your precious time from being wasted.
• You have to learn to stay in control of your life. Project an image of yourself that tells the people around you that you are not available for service to them as and when they require.

Though, we are not telling you to say ‘no’ to every request coming your way. Yet, it is advisable to weigh the pros and cons of spending your time on things that are not useful. Some things that are a waste of time when you should actually use it productively are:

• Partying with friends, as you could not refuse the offer 
• Watching TV 
• Arguing to win every conversation
• Constant complaining and not taking action
• Saying yes without understanding your priorities
• Doing something because it makes others happy

When you start prioritizing your time and start saying no, not everyone will be understanding and courteous. Do not take their response personally. People are so used to hearing ‘yes’ to everything from you, that suddenly it becomes difficult to hear ‘no’. The first few ‘no’s’ will always be difficult. Then you’ll understand the importance of creating boundaries and know which opportunities to say ‘yes’ to and which ones to pass on.

For people who have never learned to say ‘no’ this journey will not be a bed of roses. You will see a few swollen faces, while some people will feel betrayed. There will be others who will accept the change gracefully. It’s completely okay. As you progress in life and understand the importance of your time, you realize that being productive is better than being available for everybody around. This doesn’t make you a bad person. Use your time efficiently to do things that matter, by using the ultimate productive hack, saying ‘no’ when you have to say ‘no’.

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