Leo, Your Guardian Angel Has an Urgent Warning Before October Begins
A Last-Minute Request Could Test an Old Habit
You may also receive a request that flatters you before it adds work to your week. A colleague says you are the only one who can make a project presentable. A friend needs you to rescue plans they forgot to organize. You can probably help, which is precisely why people keep asking. But being capable does not mean you must absorb every consequence of someone else’s poor planning.
Look closely at how the request arrives. Did they give you the information and time you would need to do it well? Will they share the work or simply praise you once you finish it? Before October, those details matter more than the compliment at the beginning. You might decide the opportunity is worthwhile. You might also discover that saying yes would cost you rest you cannot afford to lose this week.
If you want to help, name what you can realistically do. “I can review the draft tomorrow, but I cannot write it tonight” gives a colleague a useful answer. “I can come for an hour, but I cannot host” tells a friend how much energy you have. The right people may be disappointed, but they will work with the limit. Anyone who becomes cold the moment you stop doing everything has given you a reason to rethink the arrangement.
