Some people aren’t going to like it when you say “no.”

I won’t pretend that your boss, manager, supervisor, colleague, or client is going to love it when you say “no.” Especially if they are used to you saying “yes” all the time.

They might not. Some definitely won’t. 

They might get mad. Annoyed. Disappointed. Frustrated.

And that’s going to be uncomfortable for you.

In fact, it’s probably so uncomfortable right now, you choose to say “yes” to everything and suffer the consequences, rather than sit with that discomfort.

Your brain doesn’t couch it that way though.

It doesn’t tell you that you are choosing between the discomfort of other people being disappointed or upset by your “no,” and the discomfort of overworking, burnout, resentment, and exhaustion.

Instead, your brain tells you that you *can’t* say “no.” Or that you *have* to say “yes.”

It makes it sound like it isn’t a choice. Like you have no control over your options.

Which isn’t true. It’s never true. You always have a choice. Even if there are possible consequences or trade-offs. Even if the only choice is to change how you’re thinking and feeling.

But when you don’t think you have a choice at all, you’re going to make the same unintentional choice over and over again. 

You’re going to keep choosing “yes” at your own expense.

Whether you say “yes” or “no” doesn’t actually matter to me. You always get to decide. You’re the expert on what is right for you. Not me. 

What does matter to me is whether you are making that decision intentionally or just defaulting to the kind of discomfort that you are used to - the kind that comes from saying “yes” solely to avoid the discomfort of saying “no.” 

The life you want is on the other side of that discomfort. I want that life for you. 

A ♥️ note to you: I help women build up their tolerance for saying “no” in small incremental steps that feel doable and unwind the social conditioning that makes saying “no” so hard. Send me an email (jenn@jenndealcoaching.com) or sign up for a free consult with me at jenndealcoaching.as.me/consult to here how we can work together to make “no” a regular part of your vocabulary.