How many times have you used “I don’t have the time” as an excuse to say no?
At the time you said it, likely it felt true. With other commitments for work, family, friends, eating, looking after yourself, exercise, haircuts, personal treats and of course the need for sleep.
At the same time, if you were asked to do something you really wanted to do, could you have said yes?
Rather than saying “I don’t have the time”, maybe the more appropriate (although longer) answer would have been,
“I have a lot of other things going on in my life, and I don’t see value to me of changing my plans to accommodate your request”.
Next time you find yourself about to say, “I don’t have the time”. Consider for a moment.
Do you actually not have the time, or do you just not want to?
If you do want to, how can you free up the time? What else are you doing that you want to do less?
You can always make time for anything you see value in.
You are master of your own time.
Find a way to spend more time doing what you do want to do and less time doing what you don’t want.
… and if you still can’t find the time to say yes to a request – be honest when you reply: “No, I don’t see the value to me”