How to Stop the Madness and Control Your Life
How to Stop the Madness? Learn to Say No, Control Your Life and Find the Time You Need to Live the Life You Dream Of!
One of the easiest and fastest ways to gain control of your time is to learn to say no.
As a wife, mother, volunteer and business owner I was constantly adding to my schedule, my responsibilities, my to-do list. There were always more requests from community organizations I was a member of to run a committee or club, to work on yet another charity event, to pick up the slack for members who left or were facing challenges that limited their ability to contribute.
In my business, there was always a sales call to make, public relations and networking events. Family needs never ended. Children’s school, music, sports schedules were year-round. It became increasingly clear that it was impossible to manage anymore. It was also painfully obvious that I was missing from my own to-do list. My business, house, family and community filled my calendar and left no room for personal goals.
How to stop the madness? Learn to say no. Saying no was something I never did. I always said yes and said I would handle the new request even though it meant I would have to juggle and squeeze in everything else on my plate.
In the back of my head, I would believe that I could get to me and my needs after I handled this new responsibility. Guess what? There was always a new request or new occasion, a new need and there was never any new time. And I never got to me.
Learning to say no came slowly and eventually, I realized I couldn’t say yes anymore and if I did it meant something had to come off my schedule to fit the new thing in otherwise I had to say no. Instead of just saying no, I learned to say “while I would like to, I don’t have the ability to do that at this time” and stick to my guns as it is so easy for those asking for help to ask if you are sure or if you could only do just this much.
There are also those shiny objects that I would add to my schedule myself. One more new course or event.
No- I’ve learned that unless I had space and time available or I could take something off my schedule I would deliver my no statement and stick to it. Even if the no was to me!
It was uncomfortable at first but then I started noticing all the times when others said no. I felt I was late to the party but grateful I had arrived and at long last learned this valuable life lesson.
I also started to notice the difference in how I felt and the progress I made on my own personal goals now that I made time for me a priority and stopped overloading my life with everyone else’s needs.
As women, we feel the need to take care of everyone’s needs and that leaves little time if any time for ourselves. Unless we develop the habit and practice of putting ourselves at the top three priorities on our daily schedule our own needs and goals and dreams will never see the time it takes to nurture them and develop the life we could live if we only had a plan and the time to implement it.
If this sounds like you, learn to say no and take control of your life starting today.
My tips sheet can keep you accountable to yourself and help you achieve your personal goals and create the life you desire to live instead of the life everyone else requires you to live.
Stick to your new schedule and always ask, “Does saying yes help or keep me from living the life I have planned?” Of course, the unexpected, unpreventable can and does happen in life, but when it does you must let things go from your schedule. Trust me others would drop their schedules when life throws them a curveball and you need to know is okay for you to do so also.
When you learn to say no unless saying yes improves your life and supports your values while respecting your time you will achieve more, feel more relaxed and ready to take on your daily schedule feeling in charge rather than overwhelmed.
It’s the most valuable lesson I have learned to improve the quality of my own life and I hope these tips help you improve yours.
Get my tips sheet ~ How to Stop the Madness,d Control Your Life and Find the Time You Need to Live the Life You Dream Of!
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