This is a busy time of year for us all. No matter which holiday you celebrate and how, this season is full of hustle and bustle as they put it. There are seemingly endless cookie exchanges, school performances, and company parties. It’s all supposed to give us a feeling of merriment and joy, but sometimes it just gives us overwhelm and stress. When we decide not to participate in something because it’s best for our family or even our mental health, we are reclaiming how we want to spend our time and celebrate. Sometimes I want to celebrate with rest, while other times I want to celebrate with company. Neither one is bad. It’s just about reclaiming your right to choose in that moment. Lately I’ve been hearing more and more people talk about the power of ‘no’ in this season, but it seems like ‘no’ has power in every season.

There’s so much common ground in deciding what holiday events you participate in and how you protect your brand. Stay with me as I’m sure that sounds like a stretch.

You and your business are made up of just as much what you aren’t as you are made up of what you are.

Let that sink in a bit.

Here’s a great example:

Part of our brand is the services we offer. In the creative space, there’s a ton of gray area and some specialities can bleed into others. It’s important for us to know exactly where our service boundary lines are so that when we’re faced with an opportunity it’s crystal clear if this is a good fit for who we are and what we do. There’s been several instances when a project opportunity came around and the job was all but ours, but… it wasn’t a fit. We could have taken the job, fumbled through it, gotten frustrated, and possibly disappointed the client, but instead we chose to say no.

By saying no, we’re protecting our brand, our time, and our reputation.

The potential client is pleased that we didn’t waste his time, appreciates that we can refer him to someone that will execute his job with excellence, and came out on top in the end. When businesses and brands are starting out, it can be hard not to take everything that comes your way, but if you sell candles and someone comes in looking for pillows, give them your best recommendation for a pillow shop instead of retreating to your back room and desperately try to learn how to make pillows.

This is all about a scarcity mindset.

We have to push ourselves past the point of believing that if we let this job go, there won’t be another one around the corner, but the truth is that the world is full of abundance. When you say no to something like a client, a project, an opportunity, you’re giving yourself permission to take on something that is a good fit. You’re opening yourself up in time and energy to say yes to the things you really are gifted at and excited about. And, maybe most important of all, you’re reinforcing your brand.