When to Say “No”
Most of us wait until we’re overwhelmed at work before we say no.
By then, it’s too late.
In my early career, I did the same. And now, I see it often in the people I coach.
We hold back because we don’t want to seem like we’re not pulling our weight, or because we’re worried about what others will think. We wait until we can visibly justify our reason for saying no.
We push through until we can’t.
This is a problem.
If we only say no when we’ve hit capacity, we stay in a cycle of overwhelm.
The only way to break this cycle is to say no earlier. This means knowing what’s already on your plate, and noticing when you’re close to capacity.
When you do that, saying no becomes an act of prioritisation; a tool to help you do your best work.
What would change if you said no a little earlier?
