Saying No

“If we never say no, then our yes means nothing.”

These are the words of Peter Block. And I think they’re pretty profound.

It is sometimes (or maybe often) very difficult for us to say no when people ask things of us.
Some of us have a tendency to be people pleasers. Many of us are approval-seeking. Others of us
feel compelled to say yes all the time for other reasons.

Sometimes, we have every intention of saying no, but when actually confronted with the
question or request from another person, we cave and say yes again.

This worksheet is designed to help you build up your declining muscles so that you can feel
better about how you spend your time and energy!

1. What are all the things that you are currently committed to that you want to decline? In
Peter Block’s words: What is the yes you no longer need? What is the no you’ve been
postponing?

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2. What do you anticipate coming up in the next few weeks that you are genuinely not
interested in doing?

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3. For anything you listed in #1 or #2, think of specify the barriers to saying No. E.g., “I
feel bad,” or “I feel guilty,” or “If I don’t do it, no one else will,” or “They will ask me in a
public setting,” or “I feel pressure from my boss.”

Commitment or Ask Barrier(s) to Saying No

4. Spend 30 minutes journaling about how you can eliminate, sidestep, or move through
these barriers. If you need some ideas or want to strategize together, email me at
cynthia@embracechange.nyc and we’ll figure out how you can manage your time and
energy better!

Everything starts with an inten/on.

V 347-620-6328 i in/embracechangenyc
r www.embracechange.nyc L @EmbraceNYC
M info@embracechange.nyc I @EmbraceChangeNYC