I am not very good at saying no, and for many years I though that prioritizing means deciding on the order of things you need to do and then do everything on the list. I did not understand that prioritizing means taking things off the agenda. The other week I was asked about saying NO and prioritizing what to do, and I mumbled some answer realizing that I need to become better at this. Writing this blog post is the first step. For me personally I think many things are very interesting, and I have this feeling that I might be missing out on interesting things. But I also know that a too full calendar is awful, and I hate the feeling of not doing anything in a proper way due to time constraints.

1. Think carefully if this opportunity is something that really interest you – or will take a lot of energy and time.
2. Do not answer until after 24 hours. This makes it more likely that you think things through more carefully and that you don’t automatically say yes.
3. Don’t apologize when saying no. You can politely say no without saying much about why you need to say no. This makes it easier to respond saying no.
4. Suggest another person for the task and see it as a possibility for them to shine and get some possibilities.
5. Say no and add that this might be a interesting at a later point in time.
6. Be realistic about your time. Have an updated calendar and do an honest assessment if you do have the time for this.

Good luck with saying NO, and good luck to me too. I need to improve in this area. 😮