If owning my own business has taught me anything, it’s taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to; but I can’t do everything.
Female pups are natural multi-taskers, nurturers and overall strategists. We are often the organizers behind big events and big decisions. Many of us even fall into the trap of “forget it…I’ll do it” syndrome because we know we’ll do it right the first time.
However, pup business ownership has taught me that attempting to do everything can lead to a lot of sleepless nights and a plethora of missed opportunities.
I learned real quick to either delegate some of my responsibilities or say “no.”
Saying “no” was a bit of a challenge for me in the beginning. Not so much because I was scared to hurt another pup’s feelings, but because I didn’t want Pup FOMO set in. However, in the words of Claudia Black…
Saying no can be the ultimate self-care.
So, in an effort to maintain my pup self-care club membership, I made “no” a permanent part of my bark-cabulary. Ironically, saying “no” more than “yes” not only cleared my schedule of a lot of unnecessary events and projects, but also helped me prioritize and focus on the bigger vision.
In turn, I started to see more success in the “crazy ideas” I wanted to develop. So, to all my female pup business owners out there, here are my 3 favorite ways to say “no.”
“NO”
Let’s start with the simplest most direct way to decline an invitation. Not to be confused with “Nope,” “Nah,” or “No Way,” “No” is the perfect way to get your point across. There’s no misunderstanding and it only takes a second to bark. Plus, “no” is a complete sentence. If you’re looking for an easy to remember phrase, “no” is definitely the way to go.
“I’VE GOT PLANS TO BAKE PUPCAKES”
This phrase is my go-to whenever I want to be polite. When you’re running a pupcakery, it’s pretty simple to get off the hook when you’re telling another pup that you’ve got pupcakes you need to bake. Especially, if they’re these Carob Zucchini Pupcakes With Carob Peanut Butter Cream Frosting. However, be careful with this one if you want to get in some solo me time. If you tell someone you’re baking pupcakes, they may want to come over to sample a few. Some pups can’t take the hint.
“IT’S NOT IN MY EMOTIONAL BUDGET”
I made a vow that I was no longer going to sign up for anything that made me feel like dog s**t. It’s not in my emotional budget. Period. When you’re balancing pup business ownership and pup-dulting, they’re too many projects, events and “crazy ideas” you’re working on. In order to be productive, my emotions must be calm and relaxed or else I won’t be able to make any progress. So, if I feel that something is going to be a complete time suck or that it’s not going to benefit my well-being, I have no problem telling pups that “it’s not in my emotional budget” and keep it moving.
Saying “no” is definitely a skill that we get better with over time. Especially, for us “forget it. I’ll do it” pups out there. So, I’d love to hear from you.
What’s your favorite way to say no?
Please share in the comment box below.
Sometimes we “forget it. I’ll do it myself” pups can miss the signal that it’s time for us to take a break. So, check out these 4 Signs That It’s Time for You to Take a Break. And, if your break includes some much-needed spa day, here are 5 Foods to Bring to Your Next Virtual Spa Day.
