I know we’ve all done it – we say yes to something that we don’t really want to do. It’s okay, but it’s time to start prioritizing yourself and get comfortable saying no more often. It’ll change the game for you both in your personal life AND in your business.

The word “no” is your best friend

There are a million different reasons why it can be hard to say no, and so many of us are active (or recovering) people-pleasers. We either don’t want to let someone else down, or we feel guilty for prioritizing ourselves over others. But the truth of the matter is, if you can never turn things down, you’re going to have an uphill battle when it comes to managing your time efficiently. And when we say yes to things that don’t really serve us, we don’t have any room to say yes to the things we really want. Not good, am I right?

So, here’s what you need to remember – the word “no” is your best friend. Get used to saying it, and don’t feel bad about it.

How to say no

The most important thing when deciding what to open yourself up to and what to shut down is what you have space for in your life. Really consider if this opportunity or task is a good choice for you, or if by saying yes (when you don’t really want to) will keep you from something else that you’re looking for. The key is to make sure that you’re not stretching yourself too thin or setting yourself up to become overwhelmed.

So here are the steps to take to say no like a boss:

1. Take a breath and don’t give an answer right away. Take some time and sleep on it before committing or turning it down.
2. Think to yourself if this is something you WANT to give your energy to. One of my favorite sayings is “if it’s not a hell yes, then it’s a hell no.” Lean into it and remember it!
3. If it is a hell yes, take some time to look over your schedule and current priorities/commitments. If it’s something that you currently have time in your schedule for, then go ahead and say a big fat yes! But, if you’re currently booked and aren’t willing to replace a current priority, then you’ve gotta take the L and say no.

Feeling guilty? Let’s address that

There is absolutely NO reason that you should feel guilty for saying no to something. It’s important for you to set boundaries and make sure that you are prioritizing your wants and needs. If you’re constantly putting yourself out for others, you won’t have any room to build up yourself. And that my friend is the key to unhappiness and resentment.

To help with guilt, remember WHY you said no in the first place. You had a good reason, and it will help to think about why you made that choice. If you feel guilty about saying no to people in your life that you care about, it also might be worth your time to open up to them about it and let them know how you feel. In many cases, they’ll understand and will help ease any worries about disappointing people and will allow you to let your guilt go.

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Have you ever said yes to an opportunity and regretted it? How did you get comfortable saying no? Let me know your experiences in the comments and let’s chat!