Just fluffing say NO
Some things in life are hard, earning to say No is one of them!
This is an article written for the #octoberinleo writing prompt series for the Day 14 prompt ....
This prompt could be described as being a bit ... No I am not going to say ...
Catch the original announcement in this thread
Day 14! The art of saying no!
Which is more polite, saying yes and then not fulfilling the promise or saying no and moving on?
Have you increased your workload or taken a responsibility you didn't want because you didn't know how to say no?
This topic ... well it is close to my heart ... find out why ....
Being lied to is not fun
For many people being lied to is one of their biggest no-no's...
So saying yes to someone and the not fulfilling the promise to them is a right old fluffing no-no and will cause way more problems in the long run than if you had just said NO in the first place...
It really is a no brainer. Saying No and moving is polite, lying to someone and breaking a promise is NOT polite no matter how you try to spin it!
4 reasons why it's more polite to say no and move on.
1 - Honesty and Trust
Saying NO... demonstrates up front honesty and helps builds trust in the long run. Whilst someone might initially be miffed at being rebuffed they will appreciate your honesty and directness and know they can rely on your word in the future. Which leads to ...
2 - Respect for everyone's time
Saying NO upfront gives the other person time to find someone who can actually fulfill their request.
Saying YES and then not following through just wastes their time and potentially delays them significantly.
3 - Managing Expectations
Saying YES when you can't fully commit to something just sets false expectations. This can lead to disappointment and damage relationships. Back to point 1, trust gets broken and you can be thought of as a liar. Not a good way to be thought of ... and you need to ...
4 - Avoid Resentment
Saying YES out of a sense of fluffing duty or obligation can lead to resentment on your end. That is no way to go on, resenting someone. You get resentful and then they become frustrated as they can't trust you and you let them down...
Nope, Saying yes and then not carrying out your promise is not polite, it is just downright RUDE...
Just fluffing say NO
Learning to say No is one of the hardest things you will proably do, BUT it brings massive rewards in the long run..
Earlier in this article I wrote ...
This topic ... well it is close to my heart ... find out why ....
The reason is that my new book I am writing is on this very subject!
It's hitting the publishers at the end of the year so look out for that in 2025!
Now back to this article and learning to say No....
One theme of the post is politeness, don't you think?
So here are a couple of ways to help you say NO politely.
1 - Be direct but kind
Don't beat around the fluffing bush.... Clearly state that you are unable to fulfill the request.
I am a great believer of not waffling and being concise.
If I ask someone what is the time? .... I do not want to be told how to make a watch to read the time, just tell me the fluffing time..
Likewise when saying NO, give them a brief explanation of why you are saying NO
But.... I am also a great believer of TMI ... Too Much Information You don't need to over-explain, just give them a simple reason to help soften the NO.
2 - Suggest an alternative (if possible) If you know someone else who might be able to help, offer to connect them.Ultimately, being honest and upfront is the most respectful approach, even if it feels a little uncomfortable in the moment.
Have you increased your workload or taken a responsibility you didn't want because you didn't know how to say no?
What was the outcome?
You got stressed, resentment and pissed off I bet?
Well now you know how to Just fluffing say NO and avoid all that!
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed my response to the prompt.
Sources and Reference documents
This article is an entry for this month's Inleo writing initiative #octoberinleo
You can find all the details in this thread
Today's prompt is Day 14 | The art of saying no!
All ramblings are from me, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated, note lead image is generated with AI on pixlr.com from a prompt by me.The gifs are from the GIF importer on InLeo UI.