What's the Right No for Right Now?
Sometimes, the best answer in this moment is "No."
I spent last weekend volunteering at a conference in order to receive a free conference registration. Volunteering required I arrive at the conference at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I arrive home at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
A week before the conference, I began to regret my decision. I did not want to go.
I could have canceled. Instead, I went and immediately regretted it. The volunteer experience was not good, which really left a bitter taste for me. After Sunday, I never went back, which means I never enjoyed my free registration.
When I signed up to volunteer in March, the opportunity seemed challenging but hopeful. Networking at conferences can lead to partnerships and business. I decided the short-term pain of a weekend in June spent inside and on my feet would be a good price to pay.
A few days before the conference, the opportunity started to feel like a terrible way to spend my time. The vision for partnerships and business started fading as the reality of getting up at 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday started sinking in.
I wish I would have changed my mind and canceled.
I wish I would have realized that my Yes from a few months ago had changed to a No right now. If I had changed to a No, I could have said Yes to much better weekend and week for myself. I was beat the whole week.
A lesson learned.
Let’s use my lesson learned for this week’s Sunday Question. Let’s give ourselves the opportunity to say No because that’s right answer for us right now. Let’s remind ourselves that No can be the best answer by starting our day with this question: “What's the Right No for Right Now?”
What’s your right No?
(Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.)