The Importance of Saying No
Do Less. Accomplish More.
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
With God, You Can Do Anything, But You Can’t Do Everything.
Whenever you say yes to one thing, you are saying no to a thousand others.
You cannot keep adding to your life without subtracting. Either you must stop doing the old things, or you will do them poorly.
“Sometimes you need to stop doing things you love in order to nurture the one thing that matters most.”
Problem: Leaders Often Have a Hard Time Saying “No”
Why is it hard to say “no”? Too often, we automatically say “yes” because we’re afraid of disappointing others, including God.
Do you know when to say “no”? Do you know how much is too much for you?
By learning to say “no”, you do less but accomplish more. Learning to say “no” marks the difference between doing a lot of things poorly and doing a few things well.
What Are You Trying to Accomplish?
To know what to say “no” to, first you must know what to say “yes” to (shortlist). Set some goals; share this list with the people that will help you stick to it.
Leaders help you set goals. Friends help you achieve them.
Ask yourself: is this going to help me accomplish my goals or not? Do I have the capacity (time, energy, and skills) to say “yes” without hurting my current commitments? Is this something that I should do now, later, or not at all?
Each step you take up in leadership requires saying “no” to more things. Learn how to do it now.
