Saying no and setting clear boundaries still seems to be a huge struggle for many women. And yet in order for us to follow the worldwide calling to step up and lead and make our highest contribution to the world we have to start embracing this tiny, two letter word. N O. No.
But where do we start?
Let’s start by taking a look at what might be some of the sources of our struggle with NO.
Let’s analyse and understand when we need to say no.
Here’s a few yes or no questions:
Would you like a coffee?
Are you available to work this Saturday?
Can you pick up the kids from school today?
Can you complete the project guidelines till Monday.
Pretty straight forward.
BUT…
What if the person offering me (a tea drinker) the coffee is my future boss and I want to make a great first impression?
What if the person asking me to work on Saturday is the mean head teacher at my childrens’ school?
You get the gist. Each question by itself is pretty straight forward. It’s the context it is placed in that makes our NOs more difficult.
And as women we are context hackers. We are continuously scanning and checking for signs of agreement and disagreement in others. Too many of us have been raised to become pleasers and (conflict) avoiders to the detriment of ourselves.
Why?
Why are we women so invested in keeping relationships happy and conflict free? Why do we tend to care so much about what people think and rather please and avoid conflict and give up part of ourselves than upsetting others?
According to Tara Mohr, the author of the book ‘’Playing Big’’ there are ‘six reasons we care so much about what other people think’:
1. Relational Focus (whether by nature or nurture or both, many women are very relationship-oriented),
2. Heightened awareness of others’ reactions (a host of studies have found that as a group, women are more skilled than men at reading other people’s facial expressions and body language),
3. A history of survival through likeability and social influence,
4. Fear of personal attacks,
5. Cultural focus on girls’ and women’s appearances (while the explicit message women receive is, ‘be beautiful, be thin, be attractive: that’s what matters,’ what this says to us at a deeper level is that how others perceive us is what matters) and
6. Good-girl conditioning.
So no wonder we struggle. It’s in our bones, muscle and mind.
BUT, there is another way.
Tapping into the power of the Queen Archetype we can embrace the benefits of NO, boundaries and clear communication for the benefits of ourselves and the people around us.
To paraphrase Brene Brown: You might no longer be as sweet as you used to be but much more loving.
Saying yes when you don’t mean it, and giving when you don’t want to, is like loading a slingshot with resentment, anger, frustration and hatred. Sooner or later this awesome load of contempt will be shot at the next best deserving or more likely undeserving person. Your kids or the idiot in the other car to get rid of our frustrations and to clear the air. Unfortunately this does not solve the problem at its source.
So connect with your balanced Queen energy and ask yourself:
What do I stand for?
What are the rules in my ‘’Queendom’’? (And they don’t have to be right, they simply have to be yours.)
What will I tolerate and what not?
How can I serve my realm the best?
Where should I focus my energy, time and money to reach my vision? And where not?
Which areas should I delegating?
Where should I get council?
Who do I want around my ‘round table’ to ensure the ‘’queendom’’ becomes or remains a safe, prosperous and content place?
Once you’re clear on these, saying NO will become much easier. You will simply apply your set rules and values against any situation. Being clear on what you stand for will make you realise that by not saying NO you are preventing yourself from reaching your goals and creating the vision you have for yourself and others.
Not sure how to channel your Queen and connect with your Stronger Self just yet? Then sign up for a complimentary coaching session with us right now. We’d love to support you putting on your crown.
To your success,
Manuela Damant
Visionary Collective Leader at Azkua
At Azkua we are on a mission to turn businesses and organisations into a force for good. And we believe that it is professional women who will be at the forefront of this transformation. Purpose driven, caring, grounded and influential women like YOU!