Many of us have been conditioned to saying yes to everything, including things we wish to say no to. We know what how it feels like. The truth is that you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so you then agree to things you don’t want to do. You just don’t want to hurt anyone, right? Wrong. The problem is that as you keep saying yes all the time leave you feeling frazzled and this takes away time that’s might for yourself.
One of the keys to creating the life you dream of is to set and achieve your financial goals. Nothing, and absolutely nothing, including saying yes all the time, should get in the way of that, no matter what. So, in this very article, we’ll consider the impact of always saying yes has on your goals and how saying no will help keep you on track. Also, you will get practical tips on when and how to politely say no.
The Impact of Saying Yes Has on Your Goals
We have grown up to seek social approval, to be liked, and the need to be accepted. In turn, this makes us say yes to a lot of things that are against our best interests. The three ways that saying yes can derail your goals:
1. Fills Up Your Time
Saying yes to everything people say fills up your life with other people’s priorities. Causing you not to have time to pursue your own goals when you’re always helping others pursue theirs.
2. Overwhelms You
Saying yes can leave you overstretched and overwhelmed, leaving you sleep-deprived and depleted also. While saying no is a form of self-care, and taking care of yourself is one of the important ways you can keep yourself (and your goals) on check.
3. Derails Your Finances
The negative impact of saying yes has on your financial goals. From affecting your monthly budget to driving you into debt, saying yes to the wrong things can put you on the wrong financial path.
Saying No to Keep Your Goals on Track
One way to help you achieve financial goals is by creating a vision board. But, understand that a vision board alone won’t help keep your financial goals on track. Saying no is one of the key things that will help you accomplish this.
Let’s consider the practical situations to say no:
1. Say No to a Family Member Asking for Money
When your family member asks you for money, it is one of the trickiest money situations to manage. Luckily, there are rules you need to follow when giving money to family and friends, the most important is, can you afford it? Is it an emergency? It doesn’t matter if you can afford it or not, it’s your choice give anyone money. If you do not want to, then never feel pressured to. This is the perfect situation for you to stand firm and say no. Doing this will protect yourself and make sure your financial goals are not in any way derailed by someone else’s money demands.
2. Avoid Succumbing to Friends
Succumbing to peer money pressure is a form of pressure that a lot of us face. It can be a party to an exotic destination, we just want to be included in our friends’ lives. Then we shouldn’t do that at the expense of our budgets. If you can politely say no to this kind of peer pressure, you’re more likely to keep your own financial goals on track.
3. Avoid Lifestyle Inflation
This pressure is not always from others but from within and this causes us to overspend. It’s just the desire to fit in or keep up with what everyone else has. Learn how to be happy with what you have and to also say no to yourself and your urges to spend will make it much easier to help keep your finances on track.
Practical Ways on How to Politely Say No
1. Don’t Give Endless Reasons or Excuses
There are different ways you can say no to someone. But just simply saying “no, I can’t do that today” or “no thank you” is enough. There is no need to provide reasons or even excuses for why you cannot do something. Understand that you don’t owe anyone an explanation and you are not in any way being rude when you don’t explain yourself.
2. Don’t Apologize
It’s not rude to say no, so don’t apologize for doing it! You haven’t done anything wrong by saying no to someone. It is okay to have different option or choice and most times people are ready to accept your decision more than you can imagine.
3. Be firm in Your Response
There will be some reactions when you say no, especially if people around you have known you to always saying yes to everything. Expect reactions but be firm in your response. You have to say no more than once for the person to understand but stand your ground, even under this kind of pressure.
4. Stick and Stick to Your Boundaries
Create boundaries for yourself. What are those things you’re willing to say yes to? For instance, do you want to be in your bed every night by 11 p.m.? If so, then you have to say no to anything that would keep you awake past that time. Create firm boundaries with yourself and it will be much easier to say no to anything that will compromise those boundaries.
5. Offer Another Option
Saying no doesn’t mean you have to shut someone down or even close the door on them entirely. Instead, consider saying no to offer an alternative suggestion.
6. Be Clear on Your Goals and Priorities
Decide what you want out of this life. What are your goals and dreams? You have to spend some time imagining and dreaming about the life you want and then set goals to achieve that life.
7. Put Yourself Above All Else
Remember to put yourself first. Understand that you are the most important person in your life, this will help you to stop bending to the will of others and put yourself above everyone else. Love your neighbor as you love yourself is the law.
