Kind of like ripping off a bandage, blatantly saying NO can save you a ton of time!
The quest for productivity is real.
The constant feeling of being stretched too thin, the never-ending stream of tasks and projects, and the pressure to be productive all the time is real.
We’ve all read those articles on how to stay productive at work and how to squeeze every minute of your day so that you can get more things done. But here’s the thing – they don’t work.
At least not if you want to stay sane while doing it. Because staying productive at work isn’t just about squeezing every minute out of your day or learning some new tricks or hacks. In fact, the ultimate productivity hack is saying no as often as you can manage it.
Why Do you Say Yes? And Why do You Have Trouble Saying NO
- Because you are a people pleaser?
- because you like to be the one friend who goes out of their way to help others?
- Or maybe because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings?
All valid, except it doesn’t help you get your work done.
You’re still behind on your schedule, you still need to get your work done and now you also have less time than you did before.
Help yourself first then lend a hand 🤚 !
Because the longer you’re the person “who is always free to hang or help out”, the fewer people value your time.
I’m not telling you to stop giving people time altogether, don’t be that person, rather be mindful of who you give that time to.
Being “Mindful” is the keyword here!
Give your time to someone who deserves it, preferably when your to-do list is ticked off!
The only time you should abandon your own stuff to help someone is when there is a dire necessity.
Another reason why people say yes to everything is fear. Fear of missing out on an opportunity, fear of losing a client or a colleague, or fear of looking unproductive.
Whenever you’re feeling the urge to say yes to everything, ask yourself: would I still agree if I knew that there were no consequences if I said no?
Why Saying No is the Ultimate Productivity Hack
There’s a reason why the word “no” is so powerful. When used properly, it can completely change your life. It can free you from unnecessary obligations, it can make you more confident, and it can allow you to focus on the things that actually matter in your life.
When it comes to productivity, saying no is essential. It’s crucial to manage your time properly, and the only way to do that is to be selective about what you put your time towards.
Otherwise, you’ll be constantly busy and stressed, and you won’t have time to actually do the things that matter. You have a limited amount of time and energy each day.
The more tasks you take on, the less time and energy you have for the things that really matter. So, you need to be selective about what you take on. You need to say no to the things that don’t matter as often as you can.
Learn to recognize the time wasters
While it’s important to say no to the things that don’t matter, it’s also crucial to recognize the worst cause of them all: Time Wasters
Unfortunately, most of us have no idea where our time goes. We’re so busy that we don’t have time to track it. But time tracking is essential for productivity. It allows you to see where your time goes so that you can be more selective about what you do with it.
When you start time tracking, you’ll begin to recognize the time wasters.
You’ll see how often you check your phone, how often you go on social media, and how often you get distracted by unessential tasks. You’ll be able to see how much time you’re spending in meetings, how much time you’re taking on unimportant emails, and how much time you’re wasting on tasks that don’t need to be done.
It’s You Who Sets the Example
When you say “Yes” every time someone asks you to hang out or to push your work schedule to a later time, you directly make it clear that your time isn’t valuable and that whatever work you had planned that you just pushed isn’t your priority.
When you respect your time and energy by saying no to things that don’t help you grow, you set an example to others of how they should be using your valuable time.
You set the standards!
When Everything is a Priority, Nothing really is
Another huge issue with trying to stay productive is that you’ll start to over-prioritize tasks.
You’ll see everything as being a priority, and you’ll end up doing nothing.
You’ll feel like there’s no way you can say no to something, but you’ll also realize that you don’t have enough time to do everything. And this is where productivity is actually hindering your productivity.
You’re constantly busy, but you’re not actually getting anything done. You’re spending most of your time in meetings, you’re responding to emails that don’t need to be responses, and you’re checking your phone every couple of minutes.
When everything is a priority, nothing is. You can’t do everything, and if you try, you’ll end up getting nothing done. So, you need to figure out what’s actually important so that you can prioritize the things that actually need to be done.
Bottom line…
Instead of trying to squeeze every minute of your day, you should instead be selective about what you do.
You need to learn to recognize the time wasters in your day and find ways to eliminate them so that you can get more done. Hopefully, these tips and insights help you to stay more focused and less busy.