Being passionate about work is good. But if you are a workaholic who does not know where to stop and say no, you are certainly going to burn out sooner or later. It is very difficult to say no to high paying work, however, if you commit to anything that is beyond your physical limits then it’s a sure set disaster you’re heading into. You won’t be able to complete the work on time, and delayed work submissions only cause more stress. Eventually the stress gets the better of your health and work quality; as well as affects your credibility in the market. Saying no to your clients is difficult, especially if you have a long-standing association. However, you should first contemplate whether you have enough space or not.
The best way to keep you away from stress is avoiding over-commitment.
Why to Say No
This is an art or a trick that every professional must learn, and the sooner the better. Working in a stiffly competitive market makes us not want to lose even a single client, and we want to say yes to everyone. Committing is easy but keeping up the commitment isn’t. If you cannot say no, then you can put yourself in serious trouble that can not only make your life stressful but also affect your health.
Being straightforward and honest is the best approach in such circumstances. If you believe in the quality you deliver then saying yes to just please the client should be avoided. If you cannot fulfill the requirement of a client at that particular instance, then ask him to wait for you or extend the deadline according to your time schedule; or come back again to you when he has another requirement.
When should you say no?
When you are well aware that you cannot handle a particular job, you should honestly decline the offer and apologize. The client may feel bad initially or coax you to take up the job, but by refusing this offer, you are doing yourself and the client good.
You should never hesitate to say no and should say so immediately when you find out that, either the work is beyond your capacity or you will not be able to complete it within the stipulated deadline. It is always better to take this decision very fast. The more you linger and delay the decision, the more stressed you will become. It is at times difficult to judge which work deserves more attention and time.
If you have difficulty in deciding whether to say no or yes, you should judge the decision by considering the following factors:
Examine the obligations and the priorities in your hand before thinking of making any new commitment. Try to judge the importance of the new work for you-credit wise or money wise and then take the decision.
Weigh the yes and no ratio. Try to judge whether saying no will make you lose a very good work opportunity, or whether it will put you under stress and affect the current work in hand.
Do not let guilt falter your decision. Never accept any work out of obligation or guilt, especially if you are unable to do it. This can imbalance the state of your mind and lead to stress.
If you are unable to make the decision instantly, sleep on it, ask for some time and then decide.
How should you say No?
This may not be easy; but, you should be very clear and specific when you are refusing to take up some work. Never say things like; “I am not sure right now”, “or I do not think I can do it right now” and so on. This indicates you may take up the offer later on. Always state your refusal clearly leaving no doubts.
It is better that you keep it short and do not give explanations and justifications. Instead of fabricating some story, it is better that you tell the honest reason behind the refusal.
