When to Say “No Thanks” When Things Don’t Fill Your Cup

I am a self proclaimed “yes man”. More than being a people pleaser, I am a lover of new experiences, of having fun, and a HATER of FOMO. Truly, nothing makes my skin crawl more than knowing I am missing out on something awesome. Which is probably why my mom says that I was a crappy sleeper as a baby. Saying “no thanks” to plans is a major work in progress for me.

As the world starts to reopen and we try to figure out what the actual hell “normal” means for us, so many of us are struggling with prioritizing what we should REALLY be saying yes to in our personal lives.

In a conversation with a good friend this evening, I had a light bulb moment. What if we took twenty minutes, right now, and wrote down every single commitment we had made, big and small, for the next month. Then, printed out a pyramid with blocks, wrote down each of the commitments on the blocks. The top of the pyramid has to be a no.

This is what I came up with. Sorry not sorry, but social commitments with family outside of my husband and kids…I’m sorry Mom, but concerts in the park will be a NO in July if my cup is filled with the bottom. It’s just too close to the top. Styled shoots? Fun shoots with friends? Hard no.

It is not about NOT wanting to do these things, it is about prioritizing the things that fill our cups the MOST.

If you leave a “fun” obligation and think “did I actually even enjoy that”, it isn’t filling your cup. Saying no thanks might shift your whole prospective.

Download our template for YOUR hierarchy and visualize what you REALLY enjoy!

Our free time is precious. Let’s fill it with things that make us excited.

PS. Join our Beyond Boss Insiders 21 Day July Challenge if you want to find something new to fill your cup. All fun, all personal growth, no “well shit why did I do that”.