Saying ‘No’ is regarded as rude in our culture. You can’t openly say an outright no to someone. You have to let them down easy. But not saying no, in a straight to the point manner means that there’s a lot that’s left unsaid. There are a lot of reasons you need to say ‘No’ to people, especially if you know for a fact that you don’t want to do what they’re asking of you.
1- YOU DON’T WANT TO DO IT!
If you don’t want to do something, that’s reason enough for you to say no. You should never force yourself to do something that would cause you discomfort or that you just don’t feel like doing; it’s just unfair to yourself.
2- They’re just going to keep asking you
Face it. If someone relies on you for a constant task, they’re gonna keep asking you for it more than once. That’s just the way it is. You need to be adamant and stand your ground. Tell them you won’t do it or else they’ll just keep coming to you with the same mundane task over and over again.
3- They will never learn
The saying goes: “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. If you undertake this task yourself rather than teaching them how to do it, they will never be able to do it on their own and they’ll just ask someone else instead of you. Make sure you give them the option to teach them how to do it before you shut them out. If they learn how to do it for themselves, they won’t have to rely on someone else.
5- You need to have courage
It takes a lot of bravery to tell someone that two letter word. And you need to muster up the courage to put your well being and time before any one else’s. If you have the time and capacity to take up a new task, then do it. If not, then you need to find the courage inside you to give the other person the truth: You can’t do what they’re asking.
6- You need to know your limits
Sometimes we take up tasks not fully being aware how that will affect our workload. News flash! You’re no Superman! And once you come to that realization, you’ll be able to judge the tasks you can and cannot take instead of trying to do everything in one fell swoop.
7- You need to stop worrying about other people’s opinions
Stop worrying about what people will think of you if you decide not to do what they want. If you’re a nice person, you’ll still be a nice person if you say no. No one will judge you for it. And if they’re really good people, they’ll understand when you tell them no. So don’t overthink it.
8- It’s a win/win
If you won’t be burdened with the task and they will learn to rely on themselves, then it’s a win/win. The other person is learning a valuable lesson about self-sufficiency and you’re benefiting from less work!
9- It’s easy to say!
It’s two letters and it’s pretty easy to say once you’ve worked up the courage to say it.
So come on! What’re you waiting for? Yes, men are so last year anyways!
