Just say “no”?
I read an article recently about work-life balance that (again) recommended ways to take back control of your calendar. One of the top tips was, “Say ‘no’ to repetitive meetings, general updates, unnecessary 1:1s, etc.”
Knowing I clearly have a hard time saying ‘no,’ and setting boundaries when it comes to work and clients, I started thinking of possible explanations why:
I’m an entrepreneur and if I don’t go to the meeting or meet the new person, I could miss out on building my network or finding the next client I can help.
If it’s a client reaching out, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to support them or to fulfill my obligation to helping them grow their business.
Maybe it’s simply FOMO: I hate to miss an opportunity, event, a great conversation, or the chance to create a memory and a story.
Perhaps saying “yes” to everything is a holdover of an old way of thinking: the one that purports that entrepreneurs, successful people, and business leaders always show up, all of the time.
I suspect the reason I don’t say “no” very often is a little bit of all of these. The fact is, I know who I am, and I obviously (for the most part) enjoy the crazy overscheduled life I lead. The suggestion to create boundaries isn’t bad advice, but creating boundaries because you read an article isn’t really self care. In my opinion, true self-care is giving myself the grace to know and appreciate who I am. I endeavor to stop trying to fight the system – whether it’s my personal MO or external influences on how I “should” operate.
So, I write this post on a Monday afternoon at 2 PM while I’m out on my kayak. Maybe I’m getting this work/life balance figured out after all (although, I’m currently exercising, listening to an audio business book and writing a LinkedIn post simultaneously)?
None of this was scheduled. It’s just who I am, loving life as a small business owner.