01/02/2024
The best lesson I learned in 2023 was to say no. As a person who loves seeing people in their happiest forms, it's easy to circumvent my will for someone else's. And don't even talk to me about business, it's even harder to place boundaries on myself. 2023 taught me that while I have so much to offer, there has to be space to breathe, recollect, process, and rest.
If you need help learning to say no, use these methods below:
--BE SELFISH--
Think about yourself - what you like, what you want to accomplish, who you want to be, how you want to be - choose you. Often the frustration I was feeling with my world and my space was because I was too focused on everyone else and not giving myself enough time to be.
--SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOU--
It's easier to say no to things when you have your calendar full; thus, put some 'you' in your calendar. Schedule dates with yourself, outings to places you want to visit, excursions that you desire to do, time to read, journal, or even watch that show on your watchlist - whatever it may be, put it on a calendar so you have an excuse to say no if you're not bold enough to do it on your own.
--USE THE FIVE-YEAR METHOD--
Years ago a mentor once told me to think of the decisions I was making using a five-year method that required that I answer a questions before fully committing to the decision: In five years, will this even matter? That question would always mess me up - will it even matter? I had to take a look into my past to realize that many of the feelings I feel more recently are because of decisions I made 5 years ago and I'm living with the consequences of them (good and otherwise); however, since I want a more confident grasp of my options, the decisions that I make from here on out are going to produce the life and opportunities that I dream of living.
All in all, YOU matter! Put yourself in a position to matter more and be careful with you. Be more available to you so that you can blossom into that being you're designed to be. Spend the time where it needs to go and learn to say no.
#2024