SAY NO

Time is our most precious asset. Once it is wasted, we cannot get it back. That’s why it’s so important to respect your time by guarding it. Think of each minute of your time like a gold bar. Then ask yourself, “Is what I’m committing to or wasting time on worth giving away a stack of gold bars?”

Even though we know how valuable our time is, we still get stuck committing to people, places, and things that drain us. We waste two hours in a meeting that we really don’t need to be in. We spend 4-5 hours mindlessly watching TV. Then, we scroll through social media for 2 hours minding other people’s business, instead of minding our own.

One of the most powerful steps to take to get your precious time back is to master the art of saying “no.” “No” is a complete sentence. No doesn’t require a explanation. Often, when we say no, we feel bad—like we’re disappointing or letting people down. Think about it, would you let someone have a free for all with your bank account, just taking out money whenever they want it and using it without a clear purpose? Probably not. So, why would you let someone do that with your time?

Free yourself by saying no to stuff that doesn’t serve you and and eliminating things that waste your time. If you feel uncomfortable giving a firm no, below are other ways to say no.