Sometimes the most loving thing we can do in a given situation is to say “no”.

It seems emotionally counterintuitive. If we love or care for someone, we naturally want them to have what they want. Remember: We train people on how to interact with us based on what we do over and over. The process of enabling bad behavior can end with one simple word.

Sometimes the most strategic thing we can do for our schedule and our business is to say “no”.

If you’re anything like me, you pack your schedule to the brim constantly. Saying no one in a while (or more) allows us the time we need to enjoy life and to breathe. Sometimes our best ideas come when we have nothing else cluttering our mind.

“No” is a complete sentence.

As soon as you open your mouth after saying the word “no”, you are justifying your decision to someone else, or rationalizing. This is unnecessary. If the situation calls for a more polite decline, you can always say: I’m so honored you thought to ask me! For many reasons I won’t be able to help out right now, but I do wish you the best of luck!

Practice saying no in areas of you life that need some you-attention. You’ll be amazed how much time is in the day when you’re not spending it constantly working for someone else!