I first learned the term "Yes-Man" in seventh grade English class. My school had assigned The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey, as a way to help us learn how to be--you guessed it!--highly effective teens. Most of my classmates hated reading that book, but I loved it! It was interesting and funny. It had good advice. I felt like it had dropped into my hands at just the time that I needed it to.

Early in the book, Covey describes the "Yes-Man," a type of personality where a person agrees to everything that is asked of them. I remember scoffing at that phrase. No way was I a Yes-Man! I knew how to say no to things I didn't want to do. Never mind that I hadn't quit a sport or instrument since I was old enough to make my own decisions about them. Never mind that that same school year, my friends brought me to a cheerleading practice "just to try it out," and I ended up joining the squad and staying a cheerleader for the rest of my school life. Nope. Me, a Yes-Man? No way.

In all four years that I was in college, I joined about ten different activities on- and off-campus (if you include jobs and volunteering, I think the number is even greater!). And that was fine! I went to college to learn, yes, but also to have a social life and to grow as a person. Joining things helped me to interact with all different types of people, and I definitely expanded my horizons. The issues arose when I lost the ability to say "no" to anything.

I took on too many responsibilities at once, and that pressure took a toll. I'm sure everyone has been there, especially other Yes-People. There's the fear of disappointing others, and in not completing a job to the best of your abilities. But there's also the stress, and the sleepless nights, and the toll on your health that is so much harder to fix than a few missed deadlines and some hard talks with people. At some point, Yes-People need to make a decision: Is their health more important than the challenge of sometimes saying "no"? The answer to that, ironically, should be "yes"!

I'm still learning to fight off my Yes-Person tendencies, and it's going to take a long time to get it in check. However, my mental and physical health should always, always take priority over my ability to complete a task. It's hard to say "no" sometimes, but it's even harder to explain why something didn't get finished because of an inability to balance a billion things at once. Sharing responsibility with others is part of what makes us human, after all!

So, my fellow Yes-People, I challenge you to say no sometimes. Put yourself first. You won't regret it!