How busy we say we are & the best thing we can do for ourselves
Bottom Line: Quick question. Are you busy? According to researchers and the authors of The Power of No...I already know the answer to that question before asking it. 95% of us say some version of yes when asked. We’re a society obsessed with being busy, staying busy and saying yes. Even when we want to say no. I’ve covered this topic several times over the years. Most research suggests we’re better off saying no when we don’t want to do something. After all, we’re always busy right? But in case you needed a little encouragement here’s one of the most effective statements on the subject I’ve come across from author James Altucher:
“When you say yes to something you don’t want to do, here is the result: you hate what you are doing, you resent the person who asked you, and you hurt yourself.”
What’s most interesting is what happens when you say no to stuff you don’t want to do. You save money. You do what you’d prefer to do which makes you happier and yes, you have more time. If the saving money thing comes as a surprise, the reason’s pretty straight-forward. Most occasions/events/get together’s you don’t want to involve spending money you wouldn’t otherwise spend. That's the double or triple whammy of saying yes when you’d really prefer to say no.
If you want more time, to save more money and to generally be happier say no when you want to say no. It might seem scary at first but think about the negativity of saying yes again before you commit.