I believe that the two words that have the most power are the simple words \u201cYes\u201d and \u201cNo,\u201d and when and how you use them will have more impact on your life than nearly another factor. Personally, I\u00a0have a hard time saying\u00a0\u201cNo.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m really more of a\u00a0\u201cYes\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0kind of guy, but I\u2019ve found out the hard way that saying \u201cYes\u201d too often can lead to disaster.<\/p>\n \u201cDad, can we have ice cream for breakfast?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u201cSure! I think I\u2019ll have some too!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDave, can you please take on this big commitment that you don\u2019t have time to do?<\/em>\u201d\u00a0\u201cOkay! I\u2019ll find time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSir, could I talk to you about how purchasing a Time Share could be a great investment?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u201cSounds awesome!\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve had to learn the hard way that without a healthy amount of\u00a0\u201cNo\u2019s,<\/em><\/strong>\u201d I end up overcommitted, broke, burned out, stressed out and ineffective. Maybe you can relate to what I\u2019m saying. Perhaps you\u2019ve gotten into the habit of saying \u201cYes\u201d a little too often and it\u2019s time to push the \u201cNo Button\u201d a little more frequently.<\/p>\n So, how do we do it? How do we restore balance and healthy boundaries into our life? Here are a few tips that I\u2019m learning\u2026<\/p>\n 1. Always take time before committing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get out of the habit of immediately saying \u201cYes\u201d and replace it with\u00a0\u201cMaybe\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cThat sounds like an interesting opportunity. Give me some time to think it over.<\/em>\u201d There\u2019s wisdom in thinking before committing.\u00a0A quick decision is rarely a wise<\/em> decision.<\/strong> Be very slow and cautious to make commitments, but then always keep the commitments you make.<\/p>\n 2. Realize that every \u201cYes\u201d means \u201cNo\u201d for something else.<\/strong><\/p>\n Every time I commit to something, I\u2019m taking time and energy away from other relationship and priorities to do it. Every \u201cYes\u201d comes with a cost and I need to be intentional and wise about investing in the right opportunities.<\/p>\n 3. Don\u2019t Give Excuses.<\/strong><\/p>\n When I do say \u2018No,\u201d I find myself immediately wanting to rattle off a bunch of good reasons why I can\u2019t say \u201cYes\u201d and might ultimately talk myself into changing my mind. The bottom line is I don\u2019t need to justify my decision. A simple, \u201cThank you, but I can\u2019t commit to that right now<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d is plenty.<\/p>\n 4. Remember what Matters Most<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let too many \u201cYes\u2019s\u201d redefine your priorities.\u00a0My Faith, My Family and My Health have to take priority and I don\u2019t want to jeopardize any of them just to appease or impress people.\u00a0If you don\u2019t set your priorities, someone else will set them for you!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m writing all this as a guy who still has a lot to learn, so I would love to hear from You. What have you done to bring balance to your schedule? How have you protected yourself and your family from overcommitment?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I believe that the two words that have the most power are the simple words \u201cYes\u201d and \u201cNo,\u201d and when and how you use them will have more impact on your life than nearly another factor. Personally, I\u00a0have a hard time saying\u00a0\u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0I\u2019m really more of a\u00a0\u201cYes\u201d\u00a0kind of guy, but I\u2019ve found out the hard way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2136,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-tools"],"yoast_head":"\n