When you learn to say no you have a way of discriminating between what should get done and what shouldn’t, and you can focus
Here are 8 time management tips to help you say no. Make sure you read the article What your Time Management Style says about your ability to say No as well to get the best results.your time and energy on the things that fit your priorities rather than those that take you away from them.
- Routinely question what is required when you are asked to do a task and the timing involved so you and they are clear what is involved and whether their request is realistic given your existing priorities
- Challenge people’s demands on your time. Why are they asking you? Is there someone better able to handle this? Are they prepared to accept your priorities being changed?
- Think in terms of saying no. Practice this skill and get comfortable with it so then you will only say yes to things that really matter
- Create a FAQ to prevent people asking questions that can be easily answered in a standard format
- Get comfortable with saying no by practicing. Say no to everything for a day or 20 times in succession –whichever is the longer period. Don’t take on any new things whatsoever. Make a joke of it with people if this is easier for you. At least they will get the message that you want to push back on things and they may be reluctant to ask you another time.
- Make yourself unavailable for certain periods of time when you don’t be disturbed or take any interruptions. Tell colleagues, family you are not available, put your phone on silent and turn of your email alert. You can get creative about it in your diary and colour your undisturbed periods red and your available time green.
- Build some new phrases into your vocabulary: “Is there anybody else who can do it?”, “I can’t do it but I can find you somebody else who can”, “I can’t do it now but I could do it later”, “I won’t be able to do this if I do that”, “I’ll get to it in x hours/weeks from now”, “I’m currently full-time on such and such… what’s the priority of this in comparison?”
- Get clear about the value of your time (we’ll tell you how in another article – or email us for details now), because then you know what it will cost you to say Yes.
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