{"id":46162,"date":"2016-12-08T13:17:37","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T21:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?p=46162"},"modified":"2016-12-08T13:17:37","modified_gmt":"2016-12-08T21:17:37","slug":"say-yes-bring-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/say-yes-bring-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"Only Say Yes to the Jobs That Bring You Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re an entrepreneur or freelancer that has a problem saying no, raise your hand.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thank you, and welcome. Saying no is not fun but it is indeed a complete sentence.<\/p>\n

A few of these scenarios might seem familiar to you:<\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> You\u2019re on your last dollar with no checks in sight. You recently quit your job and could not file for unemployment. The bills are due and your gas tank is running on empty and a prayer. An opportunity randomly comes your way and you take it without checking if it was legitimate. You find out that it\u2019s a pyramid scheme and you lost the money you borrowed to invest in it.<\/p>\n

B)<\/strong> A friend approaches you with a super cool collaboration project. Unfortunately, you\u2019re swamped with your own projects and a corporate job. Your mind hasn\u2019t really even wrapped around her project enough so you\u2019re not even sure if you\u2019re that interested in what she\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019ve found a way to say yes to both A and B scenarios at some point in your freelance journey. What sometimes seems like a smart, financial and mutually beneficial decision turns into a living nightmare. Saying yes to things that physically and mentally exhaust you leaves little room for the things that bring you joy.<\/p>\n

I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up<\/em> by Marie Kondo<\/a> recently. It is a book on utilizing Kondo\u2019s specific method, dubbed the KonMari Method, to declutter your home. What made her method so revolutionary was that getting rid of clutter was made simple by asking yourself a simple question: does this thing spark joy? And if that thing did not, it had to go. No questions asked.<\/p>\n

I think the same logic can be applied to the opportunities that come across our paths in life. Some projects that come your way may look amazing. The money might be speaking directly to your pockets but sometimes, your no should mean no.<\/p>\n

You might not realize when you should probably say no to an opportunity. This might help:<\/p>\n

When should saying no be the right thing to do?<\/h3>\n

\u25cf When you have more opportunities than you have time.
\n\u25cf When you\u2019re not fully invested in the mission.
\n\u25cf When the money isn\u2019t worth your time.
\n\u25cf When you keep making excuses as to why you can\u2019t do it.
\n\u25cf When what is pursuing you does not align with your personal brand.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve realized why you want to say no but the pleaser in you still doesn\u2019t know how. Learning to say no is difficult but can be done.<\/p>\n

How to say no<\/h3>\n

\u25cf No need to make an excuse or give an explanation. No is a complete sentence.
\n\u25cf Be straightforward. Try saying \u201cNo, I cannot.\u201d or \u201cThank you, but I\u2019m going to decline.\u201d
\n\u25cf If you must give a reason, keep it simple, brief, and honest. \u201cCommitting to this project with my current workload would be unrealistic.\u201d
\n\u25cf Practice saying NO outloud.<\/p>\n

When saying yes is worth it<\/h3>\n

When you begin to value your time, you\u2019ll find that saying no becomes easier. You will find that you have more time to commit to the jobs that bring you joy. You\u2019ll be able to recognize those jobs and say yes immediately. You\u2019ll have more time to focus on the projects and jobs that matter to you the most.<\/p>\n

Saying no creates room to say yes to the opportunities that spark joy in your life. Saying yes to the work that sparks joy will lead you to living your most fulfilled life.<\/p>\n

\n

Lucy is a former Creative Circle candidate in Atlanta. She is a freelance writer and visual storyteller. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely exploring new restaurants around town, traveling, taking pictures or reading blogs dedicated to SELF \u2013 awareness, development\/discovery and expression. If you are interested in working with someone like Lucy, contact your nearest Creative Circle office.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learn why saying no is ok because it allows you to say yes to the opportunities that matter most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-as-a-freelancer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOnly Say Yes to the Jobs That Bring You Joy | Creative Circle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saying no creates room to say yes to the opportunities that spark joy in your life. 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