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Natalie Lue

When best-laid plans mess up your start to the year, go easy on yourself

Published over 1 year ago • 2 min read

Before you read this week's newsletter, a quick reminder that today is your last chance to pre-order The Joy of Saying No and claim the bonus of my online course Reclaim Your Work Boundaries. Details here.

Happy New Year, Reclaimers,

Is it just me that's starting to feel a bit pooped and we're barely a week into the new year? Jaysus!

I'm technically on my usual winter break but due to the book coming out, I've got various promo and organisation bits to do.

My book was originally supposed to come out in October, and then the publisher moved the US date to what's now become Prince Harry's Autobiography Release Day 🤣

Of course, being in slow mode means I've let these bits of work pile up into the pockets of time I put aside. Then I get annoyed with myself and anxious from the overwhelm. Argh!

Even though I'm not into New Year's resolutions, like a lot of us, these frustrations in the the first days or weeks of the year end up feeling, to me, like I'm dragging the old into the new. This is especially because something I'm prioritising this year is margin--giving myself more time and space instead of packing lots in.

While today's been a blowout on that front, I'm giving myself margin in the form of grace, too. I'm only human, and I'm going to use today to discern what I need to say no to.

And I share this with you in the hope that you'll have more patience and compassion with yourself too.

Too many people write themselves off based on encountering a frustration or challenge early in the year, something I wrote about back in 2014.

With that in mind, today's newsletter is a short one. I need an early night!

Until next time, take care of you,

Natalie x

P.S. I wrote a blog about why we don't need to base whether we'll empathise with others or ourselves on status or whether we like a person or find them to be "worthy".

P.P.S. Thank you to all of you who sent advice on those bloody little houseplant flies. I think I've got it under control.

P.P.P.S. I've had so many lovely messages about the podcast episode I did on Gone Girl, Tiger Woods, and the Dark Side of People Pleasing. You can listen to it here.


PRAISE FOR THE JOY OF SAYING NO

“With her unrivalled insight into the ways of people pleasing, Natalie Lue nails the reasons why we continually say yes and gives us permission not to. Enjoy the joy of saying NO, relieved of guilt or obligation. Freedom awaits.”

Susanna Reid, host of ITV's Good Morning Britain

“After reading The Joy of Saying No, I will never say yes out of guilt again. I feel empowered now to say yes when the situation and opportunity are in alignment with my heart and path. I feel lighter and more aligned as a result.”

Sylvester McNutt, bestselling author of Care Package

Order The Joy of Saying No from your favourite bookseller.

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Natalie Lue

Writer, author and artist helping people reclaim themselves from their emotional baggage and shady relationships since 2005 at BaggageReclaim.com.

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