How to learn to say no

Don't act on the machine

Don't say yes right away, but say, "Let me check my calendar and then I'll contact you." In the meantime, you are checking whether you really have time, at the same time think about why you want or need to agree. Perhaps in the end you will still say yes, but you will be confident in your decision.

When you really want to agree, say "maybe"

This will let the other person know that you are interested, but you need to first - yes, you guessed it - check your calendar. If you don't have free time, you can refuse with a clear conscience. If you feel that the proposal is not as interesting as you thought at the beginning, there will be time to come up with a decent answer.

The more you feel like agreeing, the more likely you are to ignore your more important responsibilities. So don't rush into decisions and be sure to give yourself time to think.

Distinguish between your own and others' problems

The same applies to projects and ideas. We always want to take on more things than we are able to do. Try to focus only on those tasks that are in line with your goals and views.

If someone else has to solve this problem, refuse. If you feel that the proposed idea is contrary to your principles, say no. It will be very good if you can advise who to contact with this.

And don't forget that it's better to take on fewer commitments and get things done than to grab onto anything and let yourself and others down as a result.