Say “YES” to “NO!”

In order to succeed in business, it’s just as important to figure out what NOT to do as determining what TO DO.

No” is a powerful word…. ask any mother of a 2-year old who has had to listen to their child repeatedly practice this new control they have acquired. How often do you access your ‘Inner 2-Year Old’ and remember that you not only have the ability to say ‘no,’ but sometimes should. Every entrepreneur faces opportunities that appear to be too-good-to-pass-by but end up being wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing.

I often work with business owners who are so intrigued with what’s next that they lose track of the key goals that they’ve established… goals they have not yet managed to achieve while they find themselves tempted by the “next great thing.”

STOP!

As you evaluate your next moves, think about the goals you set for yourself for this year. How are you doing on achieving them? Is your business in a position to realize your business objectives? If not, what are you doing to ensure that happens? What have you said “YES” to that has led you down the wrong road?

NOW (yes, literally right now!) is the time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished so far and make adjustments to ensure that you head down the right path, beginning today, so you end up where you want and need to be.

Saying “NO” must be part of your vernacular as much as saying yes to goals and tactics that have proven to be successful. What have you said “NO” to lately? Reflect on one or two (I know you have them). Did you say “NO” to a partnership that simply wasn’t working out or did you let go of an employee who seemed like a star but ended up negatively contributing to your company? Did every ‘amazing’ opportunity work out the way you had hoped? Which have ended up costing you more in your time and resources than they’ve returned? Do you wish you had said ‘NO’ to some of them?

Once you’ve fully released your “Inner 2-Year Old,” you’ll quickly recognize how empowering it is to not be lead astray by temptation. That’s right, NO can feel amazing and quite invigorating!