As people strive more and more for achievement, most of them become hardworking and involved. We all know how attractive it is say yes” pretty much anything that comes your way because, who knows, you might get a promotion or be in the spotlight. However, this tendency often leads to a paradoxical result: failure.

Now that we've examined the risk, let's consider the following practical approaches to overcoming it.

Connected: Overwhelmed? Here are 4 simple steps to say 'No' and stop stressing.

The illusion of infinite capacity

In his heart superstition lies a fundamental misconception: the understanding that the capacity for improvement is infinite. It happens that we as businessmen and managers think that we are capable of taking on more and more work. But in fact, time and energy are scarce commodities that limit us in some way. It is important not to spread ourselves too thin in too many things, as this ultimately weakens our presence in everything we are involved with.

The productivity paradox

Obviously, doing more does not necessarily mean achieving more in this life. It is generally not very wise to engage in too many activities because this can have a very negative impact on productivity. That is why

1. Decreasing the quality of work: Multitasking it is usually characterized by a drop in quality in the projects or tasks at hand. We often work too fast, don't pay attention to the finer points, and end up making mistakes. This affects not only the result, but also the reputation.

2. Increased stress and burnout: This is because over-commitment results in increased stress levels. Stress and feeling pressured to meet certain deadlines, for example, can lead to burn out and have negative effects on the body and mind.

3. Missed opportunities: When you're constantly agreeing on everything, you may not see any valuable opportunities coming your way. As we continue to consume low-hanging fruit, our ability to seize the right opportunities diminishes.

Consequences of not saying “NO”

For example, let's consider a technology company called XYZ. The founder of startup XYZ can accept any invitation for a meeting, partnership and speaking engagement. First, this may seem like an effective way to develop the brand and expand the network. However, the founder is often left overwhelmed, struggling to manage and unable to participate adequately in the business.

The product development cycle slows down, customer satisfaction levels decrease, and overall company growth ultimately stalls; the startup leaves, not because it doesn't have opportunities, but because it can't use them properly.

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The Art of Saying “No”

of the ability to say “no” it is essential for every manager to learn. It's not that someone has to be useless or discouraged – it means that they are smart enough to understand that they can't do everything or be everywhere and do everything at any given time. Here are some tips that will guide you towards realizing this noble goal.

1. Determine your priorities: First, analyze your needs and determine your goals and core values. This way, you get a better perspective on the opportunities available according to your priorities and which do not meet your priority list.

2. Evaluate the impact: First of all, it must be determined how much that task is worth pursuing in terms of the results it can bring. Even if a study matches your research goals, will it substantially advance you in achieving them? To analyze this, we must decide whether it is worth the time and effort required. If the answer is no, you will most likely turn down anything that is offered.

3. Set boundaries: BOUNDARIES are important to ensure that there is no interference with the progress of the work or the goals to be achieved. Be clear with the people around you, your team members, colleagues and partners when you tell them your limitations. Make it clear when you are able and willing to be available to others, and when you need to focus on important things.

4. Delegate wisely: It is not a rule that you have to do everything yourself. Try to transfer of routine tasks that can be performed on them by other people so that you can focus only on the most important operations. Be confident in your people and give them full authority to do their jobs.

5. Review pledges regularly: Try to analyze from time to time what you are busy with and what is really important and effective. Are these tasks aligned with your goals and purpose? If not, don't be afraid to go back and think about what you committed to and maybe change plans.

Prioritizing Effectively: The Eisenhower Matrix

of The Eisenhower Matrix is one of the most popular and effective tools for ranking tasks according to their priorities. This basic framework allows you to carefully rank tasks due to their urgency and importance.

1. Urgent and important: Activities that are urgent and strategically relevant to your objectives and priorities. These should be your top priorities.

2. Important but not urgent: Activities that are important to achieving long-term goals, but that do not need to be executed soon. Organize these tasks and make sure they have a time.

3. Urgent but not important: Jobs that need to be done soon but won't do much to help you achieve your goals. If possible, these tasks should be delegated by the person in charge of the project.

4. Not urgent and not important: Activities that you feel are not important to achieving your goals. Avoid or reduce them to make time for other, more important work.

When using the Eisenhower Matrix, one is able to avoid getting lost in a multitude of things to do, which eventually leads to overcommitment.

Connected: The art of ruthless prioritization

Lessons learned from my personal experience

Reflecting on my own experience, I know how dire the consequences of overcommitment can be. Early in my career, I thought the say-yes approach was the way to go. I became a participant and member of every project, meeting and invitation I received. Before I knew it, I was filled with anxiety and worry about my ability to deliver high quality papers. A few vital projects faced a few slip-ups, while my efficiency took a massive hit.

It took a while to finally bend over and start prioritizing and know when to just say no. Thus, I maintained high productivity rates by prioritizing the most critical activities, offloading tasks, and setting expectations. This change has benefited me not only in terms of effectiveness in the workplace, but also for the quality of the work produced as well as for my personal state of health.

Overcommitting is something that often happens to many leaders and entrepreneurs. You need to learn what can go wrong if you're going to avoid pitfalls and achieve more success with proper prioritization.