For quite a few years I’ve said two things over and over:
Say yes to less
Say no to a lot of things so you can say yes to a few things
Why are so many leaders running on fumes because they simply have a problem slaying NO to a person or an opportunity? Chuck Lawless honestly shares his heart in this post as to WHY he has such a difficult time just saying NO!
Guest post by Chuck Lawless
Okay, this post is a confession. I’m not good at saying, “no.” Consequently, I sometimes struggle with a heavily-booked calendar and an overwhelmed spirit. I’ve been doing some self-analysis to see why I still struggle here after more than 43 years in ministry.
- I love what I do. When you love what you do, it’s easy to say, “yes” to any opportunities. You just don’t want to miss anything.
- I’ve never asked anyone to teach me how to balance my life. I’m not blaming anyone here; in fact, I’m taking responsibility. I haven’t asked anyone to help me.
- I don’t always listen to others. I’d be lying if I said no one has ever challenged me to work on balance, even if I didn’t first ask. Sometimes I’m just too busy to listen . . . .
- I live with the urgency of the gospel. I really do think regularly about the reality of lostness, unreached people, and the coming of Christ. The older I get, the more I live with that urgency.
- I like the accolades that sometimes come with hard work. Those words are painful to write, frankly. I do, though, enjoy when someone praises me for my work – so I sometimes work more than I must.
- I don’t want to let anybody down. If someone I respect and love wants me to do something, I want to do it. Those same people would understand if I said, “I’m just too busy,” but I usually don’t give them that chance.
- I don’t want to seem arrogant. I wrestle, for example, with not accepting invitations just because the crowds are likely to be smaller and the travel will be tougher. I’m always worried about making decisions that seem to be arrogant.
- I don’t think enough about stewardship of my time and body. Financial stewardship is a big deal for me, but I don’t give enough consideration to other aspects of stewardship.
- I’m an idolater. I know better than to live this way, but I live at times like I can accomplish everything. That’s idolatry.
- I don’t seek enough input from others. That’s probably the case in general. When I make a decision by myself, I’ll likely spend too little time thinking about the decision.
- I don’t pay enough attention to my calendaring process. I admit that I’m surprised sometimes by how full my calendar is in a given week. I need to give more thought to the calendar before I say, “Yes” to anything.
- I’m still growing. I’m 63, and I’ve been a Christian for 50 years – but I have a long way to go.
I’m sure I’m not the only one with this issue. Readers, why do you struggle with saying “no”? What suggestions do you have to help me (and others)?
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