As an entrepreneur, you likely get bombarded by requests to do all sorts of things.
Family, friends, co-workers, managers, even internet strangers — everyone wants you to write them an article, be on their podcast, collaborate with them on a project, or go to a conference.
It can be tempting to say yes to everything, especially when you’re just starting out and want to build your brand and network.
I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.
I used to say yes to every request, both personal and professional. If someone wanted to meet for dinner, pick my brain, or work together on a project, I always said yes.
But over time, I realized I was exhausted and depleted. I could never meet my goals for myself and my business because I spent all my time saying yes to everyone else instead of saying yes to myself.
My life and career were stalled because I was spending so much time and energy on other people instead of on myself and my own projects.
Learning to say no is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your career. When you say no to someone else, you are really saying yes to yourself. You’re allowing yourself to focus on things that can give you a sense of purpose and meaning and help you grow your business.
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Learn how to say no now. In the future, we’ll be even more connected, which means you’ll get even more requests. The only way to succeed in that world is to prioritize and put your goals and projects first. Say no to outside things so you can say yes to the things that help you grow.
It was when I learned to say no that my business really took off. It felt like a weight had been lifted. I had more time and energy to do things that helped me achieve my goals.
Start practicing now and learn to say no. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.
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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
- Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
- Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
- If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.
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