Part 1 of the mini-series, Beneficial Work Habits That Can Result from Pumping, looked at establishing a work-life balance, while at work, without sacrificing getting your work done. Part 2 of the mii-series looks at learning to say, “No.” If nothing else, becoming a parent really expands our life skills.
Part 2. It’s OK to Say No
Any working mom knows what it’s like to be laser-focused on maximizing their time in the office to achieve ultimate productivity. Adding pumping into my day made me ultra-laser-focused, which made it easier for me to filter out things that didn’t deserve my time.
The thing about pumping is that it’s kind of a sacred time. No one questions you or asks you to adjust your schedule when you tell them you can’t make a meeting because you have to pump. Or at least, I hope they don’t; they absolutely should not.
As a pumping mom in the office, I got comfortable saying no. When I received “urgent” requests from people who failed to plan ahead and needed me to drop everything to solve their “emergency,” the answer became clear: “I can’t do that now, but this is when I can deliver it.” In my pre-pumping life, I would have rearranged my whole schedule, but when that was no longer an option, I got comfortable with pushing back.
Once again, the world didn’t stop spinning, and people didn’t stop speaking to me because I said no. People will always ask for something; it’s my job to prioritize how and when to allocate time for it.
Source: @willowpump
