Lighthouse News

NO –The Most Powerful Word in Time Management.

It’s vital to effectively managing time. It may not be easy to say no, but the truth is, the most important things are typically not urgent and the urgent things are often not that important for long-term success.

Your ability to say no is a very valuable component of your time management skills. Saying no determines how much of your time will be wasted on solving someone else’s problems, as opposed to accomplishing YOUR goals. This isn’t a selfish action – it’s a constant awareness of the difference between helping people and being sidetracked by people.

Some personalities will have a difficult time saying no. Rather than considering it as being mean, think of it as a commitment to YOUR goals. It’s important to have clear goals and commit to a plan where you can be assertive in your time management and decision-making abilities. Assertiveness is a skill similar to time management – it can be learned if one commits to it.

Coworkers and others will develop greater respect for you when clear boundaries are established. If you are on a path towards accomplishing your goals, their respect for your goals will increase.

For more information and a FREE white paper called Leveraging Time with more on saying no, visit my web site!

Lighthouse Leadership

www.lighthouse4business.com

503-805-8882

excerpt from: Covey, Stephen. First Things First. London: Simon & Schuster, 1999. Print.