Time Management
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You can't lead a simple life if you
can't say no.
No one can maintain more than three priorities.
If you have a job you
care about, that's a priority. If you have a family, that's a priority.
Which leaves one more. Maybe it's staying in shape, maybe it's
volunteering at your church - but that's it. Most people understand this
intuitively. But they keep over committing themselves and overcomplicating
their lives.
In our high-achievement culture, people feel they need a reason to say no to a new assignment, an all-day meeting, a dinner invitation. Which is why you have to help yourself say no. At work, sit down with your schedule at the beginning of every month and block out time for "me." Treat this time as if it's just as important as any other item. Then, when someone invites you to a meeting that you don't want to attend, you can say, "I'm sorry, I'm booked." Outside the office, learn to be more honest. If someone asks you to join a volunteer group, be blunt: "I'm not taking on any new commitments for the next six months."
It's hard at first. But the more you say no, the easier it gets. And
the more you say no, the less people will ask you in the first place.
People don't ask me for anything now. So my advice is simple: Figure out
what your priorities are, and say no to everything else.
