My to-do lists can often grow out of control. I think sometimes the hardest thing in the world to actually say is the word “no”. I have to remember that saying no isn’t always a bad thing. I often think that I have to say yes in order to prevent disappointment or anger from other people. This is truly not the case.
I have learned the hard way that there are times when it’s better to say no than to promise to do something that I will either not have time to do or will not do a good job at. I have found myself overrun by the word yes on more than one occasion when it would have been so simple, easy, and understandable for the word no to slip from my lips.
I have this tendency to think that saying no means that I am not being a good helpful Christian. I have to constantly remind myself that I am not Wonder Woman and there are times when the task at hand would be better performed by someone else or not done at all.
Take for example the other day I had a gentleman call for a website quote. He wanted this every large and elaborate site for just information about his new company. I told him no this may not be what is needed and that it was better to start out simple and grow the website with the company. Needless to say, he was shocked at my response, but I quickly explained that a 20 page website for his needs would be overkill and that it could be a waste of money if his company did not grow quickly. He agreed but had been told by several designers that bigger is better. By telling him that simple little word no (with an explanation not an excuse) made all the difference to him. Not only did he feel like he was being taken care of properly it also showed that honesty even in the word no is more valuable than just simply telling him “sure, no problem, I can do that”.
I found that during the conversation I presented myself and the word no in a fashion that was honest, trustworthy and in a helpful Christian manner. Granted, I may not have landed a huge website contract, but I have gained a good client relationship and future work because of the word of mouth advertising he will do for me.
So, the next time you feel like you should rush and say yes, take a moment to stop and think if this is really the best thing to fill up that last bit of time in your schedule with. Is saying yes really the best thing for you and the person inquiring your service? Or is it better to utilize that simple little word “no”?
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In His Service,
The Faithful Geek
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!