I’m playing with a new habit these days: The JUST SAY NO habit.
It’s an experiment to build up my “No” muscle which has atrophied over the past 18 months. Like the rest of the world, I didn’t have much to say no to (aside from Netflix and zoom cocktails).
Now I’m constantly torn between multiple options of things to do, places to go, and people to see.
The solution?
I’m trading in my “Hell Yeah!” for a “Hell to the No!”
This is much easier said than done. My original factory settings came set to YES. I say yes…a lot. It gets me into trouble…
Too many commitments Exhaustion Not being truly presentAn automatic YES just doesn’t work for me anymore.
What is starting to work for me is an automatic NO.
Here’s what it looks like:
Someone: “Hey, do you want to do that super fun thing Saturday that you know you really want to do?”
Me: “Yeeeaaaa….uhhhh…No thank you.”
(Pause: dammit, I really want to do that thing)
Me: “Actually, would you please share some more details and then I’ll get back to you?”
NO comes first.
Then I give myself some space to decide and possibly reconsider my NO.
Every choice = a NO until I decide to make it a YES.
Whatever I say yes to better add value to my life or it will not pass through my NO filter. 
Where are YOU at with your YES’s and NO’s? How do you let them support you?To learn more about how Emotional Intelligence coaching and trainings could benefit you and your organization, click here.