One of the traits I have seen in successful people is that they are decisive! Once they decide, then execution is the name of the game.
They are not always right, however, for the most part they are. And when they are wrong, the consequences are not earth shattering, because they always weigh in the question "What is the worst that can happen?" before deciding.
One of the decisions they make is to say "No". Saying "No" is an important decision to make. Most people have difficulty saying "No" either because they lack clarity of their mission and goals, or they want to be involved in everything.
Saying "No" may seem contrary to the power of giving. This is not true for the following reasons:
- If you say "Yes" to the unimportant, you are saying "No" to the important.
- If you say "Yes" and do not deliver, you do more harm than good.
- You cannot do everying, so it is better to focus on few areas that you can do justice to.
- Some areas are done better by others. By effectively delegating everyone wins and you save time and energy.
- If you say "Yes" because you just want the limelight, then that is not the best reason to say "Yes".
The key is that you are regularly giving and making a difference in areas you are gifted in. Also, you are gracious when you say "No" and offering what you can do instead when you say "No".
How about you? Are you decisive or do you tend to drag your feet?
