Problem With Saying “NO”?

I’m constantly searching for new ways to be more efficient and effective with my time. Every once in a while, I’ll come across a technique that really catches my attention. I made one such discovery a few months ago. The concept was ridiculously simple and wildly effective, and it came in the form of a phrase that can boost your productivity and have a meaningful impact on other facets of your life.

I came upon this concept in a book called Procrastinate On Purpose by Rory Vaden. It’s a great read with tons of practical strategies for the time-starved multi-hat-wearing revenue driver.

About midway through the book, the author stresses the importance of holding your time sacred. It seems nowadays there is an expectation (either self-imposed or imposed by others) to make yourself available 24/7. And while this may seem like a sure-fire-way to gain more customers, appease your boss, and grant yourself a touch of benevolence, there is a nasty side effect summed up by the author in one phrase:

“Every time you say ‘yes’ to something, you are simultaneously saying ‘no’ to something else.”

To illustrate this idea, I’ve put a few scenarios together in which saying yes to a request for your time results in an unintended (or unforeseen) consequence.

You say “yes” at 7 in the morning to responding to an email which, realistically, doesn’t need a response until the end of the day. As a result, you say “no” to the time you’d reserved to listen to an MP3 about how to optimize prospect calls.

In an attempt to be a good teammate, you say “yes” to helping a coworker in the afternoon so he can submit his budget numbers on time. As a result, you’ve said “no” to the time you’d intended to spend researching a chief competitor’s new product.

You say “yes” to taking on an additional project that promises to generate more revenue for you in a relatively short amount of time. In doing so, you say “no” to the fitness program you’d promised yourself to begin on Monday. Your commitment to get in shape is subsequently devoured for yet another month.

A hot prospect requests a last-minute meeting at 6pm tonight, and you say “yes” to this, thinking it could generate a lot of business! As a result, you are saying “no” to tucking your child into bed before she goes to sleep because there’s no way for you to get home by 8pm.

Not every yes in the world is a bad thing. A yes can land awesome career opportunities and new learning experiences, and obviously—it can land new clients. Frequently saying yes also leads to developing a reputation of always being available. Is this a good thing?

Perhaps you are sending a message out into the business world that you’ve got too much time on your hands. Perhaps you’re over-committing yourself and subsequently dropping a few balls. Lastly, you might be losing control over your already tightly-scheduled life robbing yourself of precious time to do things that really matter to you.

Obviously, figuring out when to say yes and when to say no can be a tricky matter. Here are four specific questions to help you uncover potential blind spots—especially if you suspect you’re saying yes a little too often.

• If I say yes right now—will it help me gain substantially more time down the road?
• What is the absolute worst thing that can happen if I say no to this proposition—at least for the time being?
• How can saying no help me in accomplishing what I set out to do today?
• What other important things could I be I saying no to right now?

Whatever your motivation might be for saying yes to various prospects and propositions—(opportunity, obligation, helping someone in need, fear of pissing someone off, or even habit) it is always wise to pause and assess the ripple effect your decision will have on your productivity and your life.