We often talk about the importance of knowing when to say “no”, especially if you’re someone who says “yes” almost indiscriminately.
When you focus on when to say “no” your decision is tactical. You’re typically managing your time – and yourself – so that you don’t over commit.
To succeed in today’s workplace, people need to demonstrate their value and curtail any hint of dispensability. At a minimum, they need to at least act the part.
Here is a personal example to illustrate the point. I needed help to remove a piece of furniture from my apartment. I asked Joe, who works in my building, if he’d like to make a little extra money by assisting me.
Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a project that you completely lost track of time? It feels great when that happens – you’re working “in the zone” and are usually in a peak productive state.
But how can you replicate that feeling on a regular basis? You need to learn to create your own momentum. What you’ll find is that although it’s a little different for each person, certain factors are universal.
Have you ever faced a problem that was so complex that you found it difficult to solve?
Of course, you have. Everyone goes through this from time to time. I’ve noticed that people go into a state of spin as they try to solve them. This is because typically they only address the issues on the surface. They don’t take that “deeper dive” to get to the core issue.