Mess not in the affairs of dragons, for you are Crunchy and taste good with Ketchup
~ Author unknown
Pick your Battles, Carefully
One of the most difficult lessons in life is learning which battles to fight. You and only you can decide how you will expend your energy. It can be tough to remember that others do not get to make those decisions for you.
One example of this is deciding when to say “no” at work. You always retain the right to say “no” that you cannot do something. Some good reasons to say no:
- You lack the correct skill set, and cannot quickly gain that set (i.e. this is not a simple stretch)
- An activity is illegal or unethical
- A job is beyond what you can do from a time-management perspective
In this post, we will not address the first two, but instead the third item. If you are asked to perform a job function that you simply do not have the time to perform, it is far better to decline, and explain that you cannot perform it due to time restrictions. Be very prepared to have a current list of your tasks and be ready to negotiate which tasks you should actually be working on. By being willing to negotiate and prioritize your tasks according to business needs, you will gain your manager’s respect and appreciation. We all need to know what our limits are, and to recognize that there are only so many hours in a day. Not everything can be done, and compromises have to be reached. Pick your battles.
If we fail to recognize that there are limits to the time we have each day, it is to our own detriment, and suddenly we find ourselves frazzled and unable to meet our commitments. It is better to stretch a little (but recognize limits) or say “no” than to turn into a harried mess, or worse yet, to drop commitments. Simply put, learn to say no, or you will be crunchy and taste good with ketchup. Pick your battles wisely.
About the author
Haley helps female entrepreneurs create a strategy plan for their businesses – so they can make enough money to spend quality time with their family, pay for their children’s dance lessons, pay bills – and not worry about where the next client is coming from.
Haley is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Leadership Girl. She helps other entrepreneurs build their businesses by sharing the benefits of her business education and experience through Business Coaching.
Whether you want to get a new business off the ground or expand an existing business, Haley can assist you.
Connect with Haley:
- Work with Haley
- Facebook Page: @Ledershipgirl
- LinkedIn: Haley Lynn (Wilson) Gray
