"NO", A WORD I AM TRYING TO LEARN!

 KNOW YOUR LIMITS!

Only so many dogs can be cut into this sheet of dough before it is all gone. Similarly, we can only fit so many things into our schedule before we have been stretched too thin! Don't continue to cram things into your schedule if they don't fit. "No" is not a bad word.

School, Cookies, Life? I am SO Overwhelmed!!

I personally believe that the hardest part about running my own business is finding a healthy balance between cookies and everything else going on in my life. Here is a brief look into my current schedule! 

• I am currently a full-time student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks pursuing a degree in Elementary Ed! Big shout out to all my teacher friends and fellow future educators! You guys are so inspiring! 

• I just accepted a part-time job at a K-12 school! Call me Miss Gionet!

• I try to accept six plus orders a month which comes out to range anywhere from 48-144 custom cookies a month depending on order sizes!

• As for free time, don't have much of that these days! When I can, I try to hit the ski trails, but for some reason, I am not so dedicated or diligent when it comes to working out. Can you blame me?!

• I also frequently still babysit, house sit, and say "yes" to just about every side gig inquiry. 

Man, I think my heart rate spiked just writing down all of the commitments I have going on right now! I don't think there is anything wrong with being busy. I am definitely busy 24/7, but there has to be a stopping point. There need to be days when you let yourself relax. If you don't allow yourself a day to catch your breath, the burnout can seem utterly unbearable!

People Pleaser to a Fault!

Maybe you know me a lot and maybe you know me only a little. Either way, you probably have picked up on the fact that the word "no" is not in my vocabulary. 

*Oh, you need 7 dozen cookies in three days with an extremely complex design? "Of course, I'd love nothing more! Let me rearrange my schedule!" OR Can you do this project and since you are only twenty, you must be pretty cheap right? followed by a "Let's negotiate a price that works for you!"*

These are just two examples that actually happen to me on a daily. Now, the people pleaser in me is so quick to make anything work. I don't want conflict and I will avoid it at all costs even if that means putting myself out or taking the blame for something that is most definitely not my fault. Anything to make someone else feel better! Although the longer I have run LJay's Bakery, I have realized how destructive this trait can be to my business, life, and myself as well. 

I now understand that...

• If someone doesn't want to pay my price, there are many other people that are willing to pay my price point. I should not be losing profit because "I feel too bad" that I am charging too much. Let me just tell you straight, my prices could be a lot higher, so the complaining bugs me even more. 

• If I am booked, I am booked. No more last-minute orders that upend my whole week...they are NOT worth the stress!

• If I don't want to pick up a certain order, no one is forcing me to say "yes". There are some designs I simply am not comfortable doing and also I can't execute them in the way that they would need to be. I'm not an artist!!

• My age has no factor in the value or worth of my business. Yes, I am only twenty, but I have put so much effort to get myself to the place I am today. If you want to cheap out because I am on the younger end, I will gladly direct you to the more professional bakeries. *Hate to say it, but prices will not be any lower for ya!

• The word "no" is not rude. It is acceptable to use from time to time. If you don't have time to put the desired effort into a project, simply don't accept it.

Even though I understand all of these points just listed, I still am actively trying to live by them. You don't just wake up one day and lose your people-pleasing tendencies. It is an everyday challenge to overcome them to a certain degree. Don't let yourself become overworked or else the joy of what you are doing often vanishes right before your eyes. 

Progress? Have I Made Any?

I am still absolutely terrible at saying "no" to people. Whether it be a cookie order, an extra shift at work, or something else entirely. One thing I did to get better at saying "no" was to start saying it to small things. Something as small as saying "no" to another coffee because I've already had four cups or saying "no" to a babysitting gig here and there. The more comfortable I am with the word, the more I can say it without teetering onto the brink of an anxiety attack. Who knew that a two-letter word could be so freeing? 

This month alone, I have said "no" to six potential cookie orders. While I still felt a little bad that I didn't have the time to fulfill these fun projects, I felt a great sense of relief knowing I didn't overbook myself. Sometimes you have to be a little selfish and value your own time. Think about yourself for once!

Closing Clarification!

I want to make it very clear that I am not trying to call anyone out in any way or form. I wrote this post mainly for myself. It allowed me to try and reflect on the dangerous nature of saying "yes" to anything and everything. I am so thankful that I get to create fun cookies for different people all over Anchorage, Alaska! To those of you who have received a "no" recently, I genuinely hope we can find another time to bring your ideas to life! Be patient with me as I continue to navigate through this crazy stage of my life!