The Importance of Saying NO

Recently Elizabeth Bernstein wrote an article featured in the Wall Street Journal on the importance of being able to say NO to the demands and pleas of others.  The article Elizabeth wrote should be mandatory reading for everyone. Her premise is that people often say yes to things when it is to their detriment. Haven't we all from time to time said yes to some request that we regret?  

We often are asked by our readers how they can gracefully decline a request.  Many are already retired so the request is often made on the basis of "you're retired, you have the time."  That may be true, but our time is our own.  It is a valuable asset that once lost cannot be regained. Prioritizing how we spend our time is the only way to make sure we are using time to our own benefit and to causes we really believe in.

Sometimes the priority is to give time away to a person or organization we believe in and want to help. That is using time wisely and falls into the "time well spent" category.  But saying "yes" to something because we are afraid to turn the person or organization down is a self-inflicted injury.  Fear that they won't like us anymore or be angry because we rejected their request is not a good reason to say YES.    

Learning to say NO is as important as saying YES. Her article contains a great line that in effect says that "NO is a complete sentence."  Remember that the next time you are asked for something that you really don't want to or can't do.