People in muddy boots just walking through your house 🫣
I used to feel taken aback, and even get slightly offended by people saying no to me.
If you get offended by people saying “no” to you, it might be an indicator you’re not that good at setting boundaries and saying “no” to things you don’t feel like doing, or you don’t agree with.
Why is it important to realise this, and then get to work on getting good at setting boundaries??
Here is why:
If you agree to do something, when you really didn’t want to do it, chances are that you’ll be feeling resentment towards the person that “made” you do it.
I want you to take a moment and think about the last time you felt resentment towards a client or a colleague, and check in with yourself if you had a clear boundary or not.
It can seem hard setting a boundary, because we’re afraid of offending or even hurting the other person. And yes, it’s possible. You might offend or hurt someone. But you are not responsible for other people’s feelings. You’re responsible for your own feelings. And you feeling resentment, anger and regret is not helping anyone, long term.
I see vets leaving the profession because they feel burnt out. That is DEFINITELY not helping the clients, or their colleagues, long term.
First, find out what your boundaries are. You need to be completely honest and clear with yourself, and listen to your gut. If someone asks something of you that you don’t feel like doing, or they are acting in a way towards you that makes you feel uncomfortable, stop and take a breath.
Is the feeling of not wanting to do something just because you’re feeling a bit lazy, and you really WANT to do it, but it’s just easier not to? That’s probably not a moment to set a boundary.
But if what they are asking really feels “wrong”, or you had planned to do something else and you don’t really want to change your plans, RESPECT that feeling. Speak up, and say “no”. You don’t need to explain or apologize.
If you have a client that wants antibiotics for their dog’s diarrhea, and you are a firm believer (like I am) in only using antibiotics when strictly necessary, and you KNOW you’ll feel resentment towards the client if you do what they want, don’t. Don’t feel you need to over explain or apologize. Let the client have their rant, and be ok with them getting frustrated. Not your responsibility.
If you want to get good at this, and you want learn all the tools to not only get confident in this, but also time management, dealing with anxiety and overwhelm, feel good doing what you do, and much much more, you have to check out my coaching program.
Reach out for a free consultation to see if this is for you, and learn more about what I’ll be teaching:
In your corner,
