Today we’re going to talk about the single most powerful word you will ever learn. And I’m not kidding. It can prove to be a life-changing word when we learn when and how to use it.
So here it is, the most powerful word in the English language.
“No.”
Don’t stop reading, there’s more to this than meets the eye.
When the World Says “Yes”…
In my younger years, I didn’t refuse anything. I played in as many as four rock bands. I worked full-time. I was going to school.
Eventually I opened a business, started to teach at the university and kept a part-time gig as a musician playing up to three nights a week!
And I was still spending some quality time with friends and family while having some fun from time-to-time. Sounds like a pretty packed life even to me…and I lived it.
I kept up this pace for years, averaging six hours of sleep a night. Till the day came and I decided to expand the Bodysmith when I discovered that something had to give.
But it wasn’t necessarily the number of years that began to take their toll, it was the stress on my body and health that made it clear I was overworking myself. As Indiana Jones said, “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.”
Everyone Needs Somebody
Even though I was trained, educated and experienced, I soon realized that I could use an expert opinion to help me re-orient my priorities. So, I hired my first business coach, Rachel Cosgrove, who told me almost immediately “Every time you say ‘yes’ to something you say ‘no’ to something else.”
Obvious, right? And we may have heard it before. But in any case, it is worth hearing, and taking to heart…again.
If I wanted to be great (and I did), I had to narrow my focus and make the things that truly mattered my priority. My business, health and playing music with the people I admired.
My decades of hard work had provided a wealth of experience, allowing me to hone my skills as a coach, musician, and teacher. But I soon learned that a busy life (often on the road) came with obstacles. And that fitness and health can be achieved if that little word,, “no,” was used more often.
So I said “no” to both teaching jobs and playing in more than one band. Consequently I was able to say “yes” to more sleep, more business development and more personal time. Without that word, the Bodysmith would not be what it is today. And I must say I’m pretty proud of it. We help our members achieve more than they thought was possible. What’s not to love about that? 🙂
As time went on, I enjoyed saying “no” more and more. It felt great to take control of my time and spend it where I wanted to. It’s almost addictive now!
Every day in the gym, I meet with people who want to change how they feel and how they look. It has been said that you can tell a person’s priorities by how they spend their time. Often, these people are already saying “yes” so often that there is no time to spend on changing their lives. Another social engagement…another volunteer activity to serve on…another family or business responsibility to take on. The list is overwhelming and can leave many of these people feeling like failures when they can’t fit working out and eating healthy into their schedules.
You see, adding exercise and healthier eating is just making the to-do list even longer. After all, there are only so many hours in a day. Clearly, some space needs to be cleared if they are going to begin to prioritize themselves and their goals.
If this sounds like you, I want you to consider taking a page from the book of “Brad” and start doing less instead of more. Begin by saying “no” to too much television, junk food EVERY time you go out, or to bringing your work home at night. Imagine, if you do this, how much more time you will have to say “yes.”
–Coach Brad
