How to create your NOPE list

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Saying NOPE is an important part of running a business–you simply can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything that people will ask of you.

You’ll spread yourself way too thin.

But I knooooooooow, when you say NOPE to something, you’re missing out on an opportunity. WHY would you say NOPE to an opportunity? You’ve got to jump on opportunities and make them happen!

 I used to think this too.

That’s how I ended up doing #allthethings.

I said YES to every opportunity.

Adding new services (that I didn’t even want to offer) to my list, participating in every giveaway, guest posting all over the place. It was a lot.

Too much, in fact.

What I didn’t realize was that every time I said YES to something, I was saying NOPE to everything else.

By saying YES to a guest post, I was saying NOPE to using that time to work on my own business.

By saying YES to offering a new service, I was saying NOPE to evenings with my husband (because adding a new service takes a lot of time to work out).

By saying YES to posting on all the social media, I was saying NOPE to being able to really connect with my audience (because I couldn’t be on all the social all the time).

By saying YES to what other people wanted from me, I was saying NOPE to what I wanted.

When you say YES, what are you saying NOPE to?

Of course, there are times when what other people want and what you want align, in which case, you can say YES. But the times they don’t? It’s time to practice your NOPE.

The best way to practice NOPING all the things, is to make a list of what you’re not doing right now. This list can and likely will change over time–for example, you might find that Facebook groups are a great use of your time currently, but in the future, you might discover that the ROI is no longer as good, or there’s a better use of your time.

What can you say NOPE to currently?

What is not delivering a good return on investment for the time or money you put in?

Where do you feel like you need to tighten up boundaries?

Take action!

Grab a piece of paper and your favorite pen (I know you have one), and start making your own NOPE list!

Here’s an example NOPE list to get you started, yours might be different.

I am saying NOPE to:

• Responding to emails outside my office hours
• Working nights and weekends
• Taking on rush projects
• Learning how to TikTok
• Offering new services
• Hopping on calls to “pick my brain”
• Etc. etc.

Once you create your list, hang it where you can see it! Right by your computer is a great place, so the next time you get an email requesting something on your NOPE list, you’re reminded not to say YES to something you don’t want to do.

Stop saying yes to things you don’t want to do. Solidify your NOPES with a list.