My 2022 Word of the Year is a sign of the transition that has begun in my life and business.

The word I have chosen as my Word of the Year for 2022 is “No.”

No is a powerful word. It’s also an important life and business tool.

I realize why I need to say no to others who ask me to do things that are beyond my interest, concern, or responsibility.

Yet, I also need to say no to myself as I consider doing things I know are not appropriate or necessary for me to do.

I understand the importance of saying no to activities that can hurt me or damage the relationships I have with the important people in my life or damage the brand of my business. I no longer climb trees and I will continue to say no to the throngs of women who try to seduce me (ok, that last part is all in my mind).

I understand the importance of saying no to spending money that I don’t really need to spend. This year, for the first time ever we bought a used car instead of a brand new car. It has turned out to be a great buy.  I’m also no longer interested in buying a motorcycle or a boat.

I’ve become better at saying no to spending time on tasks that I really don’t have to do. I no longer have the desire to rebuild a classic car, change the oil in my car, or for me to replace the windows in our home.

I’m learning to say no to consuming excessive foods & drinks. Although this Christmas I made the best Southern Mac-N-Cheese ever, I only had 1 serving. I am also managing my beer intake much better as I frequently say no to the kegerator as I walk by it.

I’m learning to say no to giving up too early on projects I have committed to, that I really need to complete, in a timely manner. Just this week I completed a bunch of honey-do tasks that I kept ignoring and I am proud of myself that I got this article written before the end of the year.

I’m learning to say no to ignoring good books that I said I should read, but have not gotten to. I now have three books on my end table that I am reading, instead of jumping on Netflix after dinner every day. One of these books is “essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. I’m eager to read this book.”

Being more purposeful at saying no to time-sucking activities is providing me more time to spend with family and friends.  Rebecca and I spent a week in Maryland helping her parents recently when I would previously rather have been working on new YouTube videos.

This week I called a dozen people I have not talked to in years because I previously allowed myself to be consumed by unnecessary time-sucking activities. These calls were rewarding in many ways, mostly strengthening my relationships with these people.

Although our business is all about social media, I have begun to say no to jumping on social media all day long. I’ve already deleted my Snapchat and Clubhouse accounts. I have also deleted the NCWiseguy persona I created on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and the associated blog. It was fun while it lasted, but it has become a distraction and had to go.

Being more deliberate at saying no is also giving me more time to look at our business as a component of my life and to evaluate what is really important and what we should change. After a lot of research and consideration, we added a new YouTube Channel to the business. I am committed to growing it over the next few years as I now have more time available to do so. Saying no to the right stuff is a good thing.

Are you afraid to say no? I used to be. I had that FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) problem.

Are you saying no to requests, activities, time sucks that you really should say no to? Learn to do this more and it can have a positive impact on your life and business.

I have begun to be more purposeful at using the word no to minimize time-sucking activities that I need to say no to.

I am sure my 2022 and beyond will be richer in relationships and business success as I practice using the word no with purpose and intention.

Happy New Year.