No!

What are you saying NO to? I know, you don’t want to be labeled a “naysayer”, so you try to be optimistic, agreeable, accommodating, flexible…When we’re brainstorming ides, looking for options to solve an issue, or feeling inspired, that’s the time to be open minded and to say YES to possibilities.

But when it comes to deciding what you are going to do at any given moment, you have to be ready to say NO. 

Whenever you say YES to something, you are saying NO to everything else. 

Just think about it. As you are reading this article, you are saying YES to focusing on the message I’m trying to make and at the same time you are saying NO to writing an e-mail, talking to your coworkers, thinking about your next vacation… Focusing on something means saying YES to only one thing. 
NO doesn’t need to mean NEVER. Just not right now.

If you are like me, you’ve been trying to take on everything people ask you to do. “Sure, I can do that!” It feels great to be asked. It makes you feel valued, needed, and important. And then you end up running faster and faster, trying to get all those tasks on your to-do list done, so that you don’t disappoint anyone.

Say NO to:

• Activities that make you feel busy and let you procrastinate that thing you know you really wanted to do
• Responding to (or even reading) all the e-mails just because they are in your Inbox
• Things you don’t want to do, but are afraid to say so

Say YES to:

• Spending just 15 min on something you’ve been wanting to do, but always put aside for something easier
• A meaningful conversation with someone who matters to you
• Following your intuition about what’s really important

Multitasking is a myth. It’s time to start saying NO.