Who needs sleep? Well, I do and that's part of the problem. If I didn't need to sleep I could write hundreds of articles, volunteer at the library, bake cookies for my Bible study group, plan lessons that rock, call parents every time their child sneezes, (that's code for acting up in class)
maintain a clean house, and still have time to relax with a good book. But I need to sleep. I like to be busy but when busy crosses over to crazy I lose control, and quality and productivity suffers.
I love to write. It started out as a dare but soon evolved into a passion. I would gladly sit and write all day. I even considered giving up my career andfollowing my bliss. It was temping but
it would take years to get my online writing to the point where it could replace my paycheck. I had to find a way to do both. The key was to learn how to set priorities and learn how to say no.
Finding a balance between one’s passions and one’s responsibilities is not easy. Setting priorities is the first step, learning how to say no is the second. Children usually learn to say no by the age two. "NO!" is the hallmark of the terrible twos.
The transition from "no" to agreeable children and then people pleasing adults is encouraged, even lauded. We learn to say yes or at the very least soften the no with excuses and explanations. Even with legitimate excuses we are often fraught with guilt.
Is saying no a selfish act?
Sometimes, but there comes a time when saying no is the right thing to do. I will always be an agreeable adult. There will be times when I want to say no but will end up saying yes. That's not going to change. When a new teacher comes to me for help with their grade book or wants help
building an interactive lesson, I'm not going to say no. It's a part of my job and sharing my expertise is important.
Again, it’s a matter of setting priorities. The dust bunnies under the bed will grow into tigers before I get around to vacuuming, and I no longer attend three writinggroups a month. Reading four books a week is a thing of the past. I’ll read one and listen to another while cleaning or cooking.
Do you say yes when you want to say no, grumble at the lack of time to do what you really want to do? Give it some thought. Saying no is not that hard. It just takes practice.
maintain a clean house, and still have time to relax with a good book. But I need to sleep. I like to be busy but when busy crosses over to crazy I lose control, and quality and productivity suffers.
I love to write. It started out as a dare but soon evolved into a passion. I would gladly sit and write all day. I even considered giving up my career andfollowing my bliss. It was temping but
it would take years to get my online writing to the point where it could replace my paycheck. I had to find a way to do both. The key was to learn how to set priorities and learn how to say no.
Finding a balance between one’s passions and one’s responsibilities is not easy. Setting priorities is the first step, learning how to say no is the second. Children usually learn to say no by the age two. "NO!" is the hallmark of the terrible twos.
The transition from "no" to agreeable children and then people pleasing adults is encouraged, even lauded. We learn to say yes or at the very least soften the no with excuses and explanations. Even with legitimate excuses we are often fraught with guilt.
Is saying no a selfish act?
Sometimes, but there comes a time when saying no is the right thing to do. I will always be an agreeable adult. There will be times when I want to say no but will end up saying yes. That's not going to change. When a new teacher comes to me for help with their grade book or wants help
building an interactive lesson, I'm not going to say no. It's a part of my job and sharing my expertise is important.
Again, it’s a matter of setting priorities. The dust bunnies under the bed will grow into tigers before I get around to vacuuming, and I no longer attend three writinggroups a month. Reading four books a week is a thing of the past. I’ll read one and listen to another while cleaning or cooking.
Do you say yes when you want to say no, grumble at the lack of time to do what you really want to do? Give it some thought. Saying no is not that hard. It just takes practice.
LOL, you sound like my wife - always doing favours for friends and running errands for the kids (ha, still kids at 30 and 42) all they need to do is ask.
ReplyDeleteMe, I like to spend a little time for myself and get called lazy and uncaring!