The Allure of Saying Yes

Ever heard the phrase, "When you're saying yes to everybody, you're saying no to yourself"? Coaches often toss around this wisdom, highlighting a common pitfall in the journey of solopreneurship. But let's be honest, saying yes to ourselves can sometimes feel like we're indulging in selfishness, so we veer away from it.

It's like a secret dance we perform in both our personal and business lives. We nod in agreement with others, doling out precious time from our own projects and aspirations.

Saying yes to others can be alluring. It's like receiving a shiny medal of recognition, a badge that marks us as the ones who step up, the ones who help and are valued.  It can also feel like a security blanket against the fear of missing out, or worse, letting someone down. 

Sometimes, we say yes for reasons we tell ourselves are good for our business. A new collaboration that seems promising, a chance to flaunt our skills or the thrill of welcoming a new client into the fold. But if these opportunities don't sync with our business goals, they can derail our dreams.

When we consistently favour external demands over our business's priorities problems arise. Growth takes a backseat.

The art lies in finding the balance – where external demands are met, and our business growth prioritised.

So, what to do? Recognising the underlying motivations of why we are saying yes can help us to make informed decisions about whether to accept or decline.

Checking whether this decision will help or hinder our business plans and growth is also crucial to ensure we don’t get in the way of our own progress. How will this contribute to our business growth? How is it aligned with our business values and goals?

These are the types of questions we want to start asking ourselves before we say yes.