It's always easier to say "Yes" because most of us want to please other people. Somebody asks you to go for a party but you have tests the next day, or to help them although you are busy at the moment, or to join the activities you have no interest at all! Even though your heart is crying NO, you find the word "Yes" come out of your mouth. However, it usually results in anger – not only for the person who asked you, but also for yourself for not being strong enough.
Lisa Messenger, the Collective Hub CEO, said in her first few years of business, many people asked her to talk over a coffee. Actually, she usually ended up having 20 coffee meetings a week and that stopped her from doing business because she didn't have time to do her own work.
Messenger finally learned to refuse like "No, I'm sorry, but I don't have time." She believes if you say "Yes", you will regret later. Or your heart will be filled with guilt (内疚), fear or anger because you feel bad for agreeing to do something you never want to. So you need to be brave enough to say "No" when you're asked at first.
Janine Garner, CEO of The LBD Group, believed we need to get very clear about our goals. Unless we work towards our goals, nobody else will care about our time. Garner said, "We may end up saying 'Yes' because we feel sorry for somebody who needs us. But we end up having that awful feeling in our heart. You can only achieve the best of you by stopping doing the things that take up your time and don't add anything towards your goals. Take a good look at the time spent on others, that you really should spend on yourself."
