Are you saying yes when you mean no?

Have you ever said yes when you really wanted to say no? This usually results in stress and precious time away from what’s most important to you in your life. How can you get out of this mindset that you need to say yes? Or that you are afraid to say no because it will cause conflict?

Fortunately there are some boundaries and guidelines you can create for yourself on when to say yes and when to say no. When you take time to do this, you will have more energy, more time for your own personal interests and be more available to who and what really matters in your life.

Recently a person in my network asked me to teach a few classes to a group of students she mentored. Normally I would say yes because I love teaching. This time, I said no because fall is a busy time of year for me. I had made a commitment to myself not to take on additional volunteer opportunities until January. In this case, what was most important to me was managing my schedule and honoring my commitment to myself and my clients. While I value and love teaching, there will be another opportunity to volunteer.

Here are some questions and exercises for you to answer that will make it easier for you to decide when you want to say yes and when you want to say no.

1.