Everybody knows Cinderella, and everybody loves Cinderella, right?
Before Cinderella made it to the ball, she never said no. She cooked, and cleaned, and did everything her family asked her to do and NEVER SAID NO.
She dreamed of the life she wanted but didn’t take action to make it happen. She was the heir to her father’s estate but chose to stay as a servant. She was a people pleaser. She didn’t believe she was enough.
THIS is Cinderella Syndrome.
Everyone wants a piece of you. It’s stressful. You’re stretched thin.
When someone asks you to do something at home or at work you rarely, if ever, say NO.
Sometimes, you take on more without even being asked.
So here, the symptom is that you are stressed and overwhelmed because you’re the leader everyone looks to and counts on. However, you’re pulled in so many different directions at once, and it’s hard to keep track of it all.
The REAL problem here is you’re people pleasing your butt off!
Start saying no!
Say no when it means you are sacrificing your self-care.
Say no when taking on something else means more work and less time in your life (the whole reason you work so hard to begin with, right).
How awesome would it be to be able to say no in a confident way that doesn’t offend others, but they respect you more for it?
In leadership roles, I know that there are times when duty calls. Sometimes there are emergencies, and you need to put the fires out.
However, Cinderella Syndrome can get you in the habit of looking for more work to take on because you’re the one that can handle it.
So first thing is you have to stop looking for more problems to solve beyond what’s already on your plate.
The second thing is learning how to say no when someone else tries to give you extra plates to handle.
How do I do that? How do I start saying no? How do I say it without someone becoming defensive, you ask?
Here’s an example:
The boss asks you to work on something at the last minute. That never happens, right?
Your answer to your boss shouldn’t be an immediate yes.
Why?
Because how do you honestly know whether or not you can say yes without looking at available time and resources?
Your answer should be,
“I’d love to take care of that for you. Just let me check our calendar to make sure I have the right time and resources to meet the deadline, and I’ll confirm back to you asap.”
If you do have the time and resources, you can say,
“I’ve checked, and we can do what you’re asking in the timeframe you need.”
If you don’t have the time and resources, you can say,
“I’ve checked, and we’re already maxed out for the next x amount of time. Let’s look and see how you would like me to reprioritize so that we can meet the needs of the business in the timeframe you need.”
See how easy that was?
AND you didn’t have to say no… you were able to set yourself and your boss up for success by managing the business within the actual time you have, preventing you from overcommitting and diving into overwhelm.
It’s not mean or lazy to say no. When you say no in this context, you’re setting up the company as a whole to be more successful.
When you commit to something without knowing whether or not you can actually follow through, you are setting yourself and the other party up for disappointment.
How does that saying go? Oh yes…
Under promise and over deliver.
The ability to say no is like a hidden superpower.
It increases productivity, creativity, and enhances the quality of your work while keeping everything on track.
Wouldn’t it be great to be even better at what you do, while taking on less work so you can get your life back?
That’s what healing Cinderella Syndrome is all about.
Are you ready to take back control of your time, and live the life you desire AND deserve on your terms?
Click here to schedule your free Clarity Session.