Learn to say NO

The power of saying NO

Learning to say NO to ourselves is one of the most beneficial habits we can develop. I call it a habit because it is truly is. People who never tell themselves NO have a difficult time doing it. On the other hand, people who regularly tell themselves NO find that although it may not be easy, it becomes less difficult the more you do it.

Your success is based on your ability to say NO

It is difficult to find a person who has had success in any area of their lives who didn’t become good at saying NO…

• If you want to lose weight, you have to say NO to your body when it tells you that it is going to die if it doesn’t get a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
• If you want your marriage to last you have to tell yourself NO when you really, really want to say something that you probably shouldn’t.
• If you want to succeed in your career you have to say NO to your body’s desire to be lazy and work hard and smart (even when no one is looking).
• If you want to get out of debt, you have to say NO to the iPhone (or other fun indulgences) even when everyone else around you has one.

The list goes on and on, but the point remains the same: Get good at saying NO.

“Do something you hate every day, just for the practice.”
-John Maxwell

The point John was making in this quote was that in order to succeed you have to do things you do not want to do. People who achieve their dreams have to pass up a whole lot to reach their destination.

Saying NO to couch-potato living

I am writing to myself with this, but I have found it to be true that a regular habit of exercise (saying NO to our body’s desire to become a couch potato) makes everyday challenges easier to handle.

It’s because exercise is more than just conditioning the body - it conditions and disciplines the mind. As we say NO to ourselves and overcome the temptation not to exercise, we become just a little bit better at saying NO and are better equipped to do it in other areas of our lives.

As I think about areas of my life where I have been able to implement this in small steps, the corresponding rewards have been great. My walk with God, my finances, and my relationships have all seen great progress as a result of saying NO in seemingly insignificant moments.

this post was featured in the Carnival of personal finance

Has anyone else noticed this in their own life?