Nudge Challenge Week 69 = Saying No

NUDGED: Say "no" to something

BACKSTORY: I am always amazed at people who can say no so easily. I struggle to decline things as I don't want to make the other person feel bad. I had a previous nudge week of saying "yes" to something, so this week I will focus on turning something down - saying "no". It could be anything!

QUOTE: 


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: What I thought would be a very difficult week, turned out to be the easiest yet!

In the mail on Monday was an invitation to attend a baby shower. After our difficult and painful journey with infertility, baby showers are still very difficult and trigger negative emotions in me. I cannot put myself through it, especially for someone I don't know very well. It was the easiest "no" I have given in a long time. I simply emailed my regrets to the party planner and moved on. No guilt!

Since I was on a roll, I also said "no" to attending a conference in April. I have attended the conference in the past and plan to again in the future, but don't feel the need to go this year. It felt good to make a decision after contemplating it for months. And, now a coworker is going in my place and he is excited to attend!

LESSON LEARNED: Saying no doesn't have to be hard! I don't have to feel guilty for putting my own needs (and mental health) first. I am encouraged to say no more often.

NEXT UP: The new nudge drawn for the upcoming week is "Immerse myself in one big project". Love this! I enjoy working on big projects and losing track of time, even when things get a little messy and chaotic while in the midst of it. I have a few ideas of things I can do for a big project, so we'll see what I end up doing and accomplishing!


BONUS NUDGES: Again this week, I added new nudges to my personal project! I was inspired by Kathleen Guthrie Woods' new list of nudges. I think she is fantastic and had some great ideas that really resonated with me. Here's the new nudges that I added this week:
  • Bake cookies
  • Buy two bunches of flowers - one for me, one for a friend
  • Compliment a stranger
  • Explore a used bookstore, spend just $10
  • Find my new signature scent
  • Have lunch outside 
  • Immerse myself in one big project (the new nudge for the week!)
  • Keep a gratitude journal for 7 days x 10 items
  • Learn something about my city's history
  • Let something go
  • Make a list of cities I want to visit; pick one to explore
  • Make a pie or tart
  • Make and decorate a cake
  • Notice something
  • Pick something from the Big To Do List, break it down into steps
  • Play dress-up
  • Read through an old journal
  • Splurge on something for me
  • Take journal to coffee house for 1 hour
  • Treat my feet
  • Wear different shoes every day
  • Wipe down the kitchen cabinets

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