That 2 letter word that many of us fear?

‘NO’

Funny, because it’s actually one of my favorite words! …but it hasn’t always been!

I love this quote from Shelley Giglio :

“The most powerful yes we will ever say comes from the no’s we’ve already said.”

Let’s back up here a moment, in case any of you are thinking I have it all together!

I vividly remember a point in my life a few years ago when I said YES to everything! I feared saying no—feared I would miss success, miss out on financial opportunities or miss out on what everyone else was doing. 🤷🏼‍♀️ And that left me irritated, frustrated, exhausted and depleted!

…and then I learned the power of N.O. I saw how saying ‘No’ opened up so many doors—opportunities that weren’t just good, but *GREAT* for me, my health, my family and my business!

Saying no, allows you to say your best possible yes!

You see, being intentional isn’t about a pressure filled, statistic-bound, “do all the things” life…it is rather about bringing out the best of who you already are!!

This starts with your ‘Yes & No List.’

Wondering how to create your list? What questions do you need to ask to get down to your true priorities so that you can live fully alive, chasing your dreams and tackling what you need to do?

First we need to brain storm. 

<< Grab your FREE Creating Your Yes and No Guide to help you get started! >>

I am going to walk you through the 4 foundational elements you need to ask yourself before creating your yes and no list. Then, I’ll show you exactly how to write yours!

Pen to paper, let’s get to work!

This simple activity is going to free up so much time and space for you, and free up energy to allow your body to function efficiently!

Where to begin? Here’s some questions to ask yourself first:

Creating your ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ list:

Foundation #1

What stresses you out and what brings you joy?

There are 3 categories I want you to think about: situations, people and activities. 

• What situations, people or activities stress you out?
• What situations, people or activities bring you joy?

Now, I want to point out that the difference between situations and activities. Situations are most often out of our control and could be things like that negative co-worker or traffic. Now, our response and how we navigate that stressor is IN our control.

Activities are more events that you intentionally put yourself in like play dates, your home environment, your workout routine, etc.

Foundation #2

What drains you and what fills you up? 

What leaves you exhausted and possibly even negative? Where do you feel like you are constantly spinning your wheels being overwhelmed and overworked? On the flip-side, what lights you up? What rejuvenates you?

Foundation #3

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? 

What are you really good at and what are you not so good at? We want to highlight situations  where your strengths can flourish and learn to navigate weaknesses. Don’t worry, we all have weaknesses..I’ve got plenty so you are not alone!

Foundation #4

Where is your time best spent? 

What do you need to let go of (aka where your time is best NOT spent) so that you can have time to invest where you really shine? This is called delegating, letting go of control, and outsourcing. This could be in life or business, or most often both!

Now that we’ve had our brainstorm session, it’s time to make your yes and no list.

I think it’s really important  to point out that your yes and no list is fluid and ever changing with your unique seasons of life. This is not something that is set in stone, but is a tool to help you navigate each season of life. You may want to change this monthly, quarterly or yearly..whatever works for you!

Questions to ask yourself when creating your yes and no list:

• Is this worth it big picture?
• What are the long term ramifications?
• How does this YES or NO affect my contentment, my joy, my health, my family?
• Does this YES light me up?
• Does this YES or NO drain me? Does it drain my loved ones?

<< Snag your FREE Creating Your Yes & No Checklist template >>

Let’s kick things off with a bit of inspiration. Here’s a few things on my list:

• Saying YES to good morning and nighttime routines that encourage health, positivity, peace and joy in our home.
• Saying YES to self care everyday and choosing to intentionally fill my cup (even if its only for 10 minutes)!
• Saying NO to social events during my workday hours.
• Saying NO to social media on the weekends.

Does that help getting you going? Leave me a comment below with one thing that is on your NO list this month!

Don’t forget to snack your Creating Your Yes and No Checklist freebie 👇🏻