"I don't want to" is reason enough

Someone recently posed this question in a Facebook group I'm in: What are your biggest objections to buying a course that will help you in an area of your life?

It was an interesting one to reflect on. What I came up with was this:

If it's the right course at the right time, there are no objections. There may be things I need to figure out -- how to pay, how to carve out the time -- but they aren't actually objections. I sign up, commit, and make it work.

If it doesn't actually feel right for me, I may raise a whole list of objections: time, money, structure, format, etc. But the specific objections don't really matter because the honest reason is simply "I don't want to."

If I end up overcoming my stated objections and saying yes despite the underlying "I don't want to," chances are I won't be fully engaged, won't get the full benefit of what is being offered, and will have to deal with some level of regret or resentment about the experience.

So the best thing someone can do when offering a course is to help me discern whether it's something I really want to do -- and allow "no" to be a perfectly legitimate answer, even if I can't justify it with logic.

I think this is a really good reminder, for all of us, that extends well beyond this specific example: "I don't want to" is reason enough to make a decision. And so is, "I want to."

This can be frustrating and confusing for other people who may have their own opinions about what you should do and why (usually having to do with what they want).

But it's your life, and you get to say.

I believe you are a better judge of what will serve you than anyone else.

I also believe that your well-being is good for the people around you.

What do you think?

If you've got things to say on this, I'd love to hear.