This lesson has become more relevant in my own life the older I have got. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is bullshit. There is always an opportunity cost to every decision, so we can’t live our lives saying yes to everyone, every party, every trip and every business opportunity.
As a boutique business, the Dan Roberts Group says no to new opportunities and partnerships around 50 times more often than we say yes. If we said yes to everything, we would become lost, it would hurt our brand and identity, and we wouldn’t attract the clients we are best suited to help. The same applies to people. When you are clear about where you are headed and are busy cultivating the lifestyle, career and body you want, you simply have to be assertive, know your worth and say “No thank you” to all kinds of things.
It’s okay if people get a bit annoyed at you for this. When people ask for favours, something may seem like no big deal to them… and if it’s no big deal for you either, then great, no issue. But if it is actually very time-consuming or problematic for you, then you shouldn’t have to pay the price for somebody else misreading or underestimating the cost to you.
You can be kind, thoughtful, helpful and patient with others without being a doormat. The kindest people I know are often the ones who get taken advantage of because they don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings by saying no. Self-confidence comes into play here, of course, but please remember that YOUR time matters too. Being assertive is an essential element of living a high-performance lifestyle.
As you become more successful in life, more opportunities tend to come your way, and it becomes increasingly important to manage your time and stay focused on what is important. Feeling okay about saying “No” is a vital social skill to cultivate.