1. Have a plan for your day, week, month and life. If you know where you’re going and what it will take, you have an easy reason to turn others down.
2. Recognise what it will cost if you give in and say “yes”. Saying “yes” once or twice may not push you to the edge. But those “yeses” sure add up and can cause a lot of stress.
3. Recognise that it’s OK to say “no” from time to time. It doesn’t mean that you’re the enemy or someone difficult. We are free to make decisions and choose for ourselves.
4. Say “no” by the medium that you’re comfortable with. For example, send an email if it’s easier to try and write things down, or if you’re not really good at saying “no” face to face.
5. Don’t over-explain or say more than you need. You don’t have to get permission from someone to say “no”. It’s not up to them to decide if it’s OK.
6. Don’t make it too easy for others to contact you. If you’re hard to track down often people just won’t try – so keep yourself busy or switch your laptop off.
7. Rehearse in advance so you feel more confident, or even take some time to write down what you will say.
8. Delay saying “yes” as that says you’re not that keen – so when the person hears a “no” then it’s really no surprise.
Every moment counts; let's capture them.