I made this blog post into an Instagram Reel (view it here) and so far it has been my most viewed and most saved post, so I figured it should live on the blog as well.
Show of hands, who actually likes saying “no?”
I bet there’s at least a few of you, but I’m going to guess that majority of people don’t love to say no or decline offers. We want to be polite, right? And appreciate that someone thought of us. But saying YES when we actually want to say NO is not the move to make, and here’s why:
(I’d save these for later if I were you):
1.) It won’t work out this time but I would love to be invited next time.
2.) This doesn’t fit in my schedule with my current commitments but thank you for asking.
3.) No, thank you though.
It’s helpful to note that the best way to get comfortable saying no is to…say no. That’s right. Saying no is a skill and skills need to be practiced. I always recommend starting to say no to smaller things – (ie a coffee date on a day you’re already swamped, or an event you can’t attend) – before you need to say no to bigger things (ie. a job offer, or a destination wedding).
And remember, saying NO doesn’t have to be done rudely. Setting boundaries and enforcing them is insanely beneficial and while people may not initially be thrilled with your no, they should respect it.
Was this helpful? Let me know!
See you later this week for a fashion post.
Xo, Maddy
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I'm a life + success coach for humans like you who want the support to gain the clarity, confidence, and competence to become the most confident and successful version of yourself.