9 Things to Say Yes to in 2008

taken from Cosmopolitan.com


Since you're a socially sophisticated chick, you've of course mastered the art of smiling and complying with what's expected. But sometimes you'd rather get an allover body wax than go with the flow for one more second.

Well, it's 2008, and we hereby grant you permission to stop doing the things you think you should — like saying no to a little indulgence or yes to someone's time-sucking request. Instead, try these daring, yet ultimately freeing, alternatives. You'll thank us later.

1. Call out that flaky friend.

You just knew she would be late or cancel at the last minute, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened...again. When this serial offender offers up yet another lame excuse about her overdramatic life or tries to play the "free spirit" card, skip the "It's okay," which only makes you seem — and feel — like a doormat. This time, simply tell her "This is really getting old." She'll realize it isn't the first time she's left you hanging...but it had better be the last.

2. Pay a pro to tackle a chore you hate.

Buy yourself a huge feeling of relief. It's not necessarily extravagant to hire an accountant to do your taxes, an iPod-loader (yes, they exist!) to transfer all your music to MP3s, or a housekeeper to deep-clean your bachelorette pad occasionally. Uh-huh, you could do it yourself, but consider the amount of mental energy you'd save by not avoiding, dreading, and half-assing whatever banal task you loathe. As the commercial would put it: priceless.

3. Take a 10-day vacation.

It's a time-off travesty: More than a third of people who work fail to use all of their vacation days, according to research by Families and Work Institute (FWI), never mind take longer than a week at a stretch. Don't be a burnout victim — FWI found that it takes three days off work to become relaxed, and that feeling increases the longer you stay away from those flickering fluorescent lights.

Next time you plan a weeklong vacay, slip in the following Monday too. It's just one extra day, so your boss won't flinch, but it'll make your away time seem so much longer. Plus, you won't instantly erase the relaxation by fighting the nightmare Sunday night travel crunch. Double plus, that first day back won't be so bad: Only four days until the weekend.

4. Delete your entire in-box.

Set aside two hours to plow through that overflowing email folder. File what you need to (receipts, project info, links you will want later). Now jettison the rest of the e-junk. This includes stale messages from far-flung friends, recipes from Mom you'll never make because you use your oven as a shoe closet, unfunny forwards, and send-this-to-10-friends-or-you'll-die chain letters.

All this cybercrap clutters your in-box and your head, and you risk burying the notes that actually are important. "The world is moving so fast these days that anything older than three days is ancient history anyway," says Bob Kriegel, Ph.D., author of How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard. "If it's important enough, the sender will contact you again."

5. Ask someone on a "girl date."

"A lot of women are intimidated by the idea of actively pursuing new friends," says Victoria C. Dickerson, Ph.D., author of Who Cares What You're Supposed to Do? That's because meeting people is so effortless up through college that once we get out, we aren't sure how to make those connections anymore.

But if there's a chick who seems like BFF material — or maybe even cool-friend material — go after her. We promise you won't come off as weird or desperate if you just invite her to do something you're both into, like hitting a flea market or wine tasting. Or say you want to pick her brain about her job or neighborhood. You'll automatically have things to talk about without the usual "first date" weirdness.

6. Indulge in buying one luxury item.

Have you craved the same designer watch, killer heels, or omigod handbag for years but settled for a knockoff? Here's an exciting idea: Why not save up and buy the real thing?

Splurging on quality, even if it's pure luxury, isn't a bad investment. Your crazy-nice buy will outlast a closet full of cheap copies and make you feel A-list every time you rock it. Besides, a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that making purchases based on a gut feeling can leave you happier for longer than buys based on purchasing only what's practical.

7. Master the art of mono-tasking.

Watch TV and don't fold laundry. Write your report and don't answer emails until you're done. Talk to your friend on the phone and don't skim a catalog. We try to be überproductive to maximize our time, but studies show that juggling several tasks makes us less efficient.

Over time, this corporate mentality can even cause short-term memory problems and difficulty concentrating. But most important for a Cosmo girl, multitasking saps the enjoyment out of simple pleasures by pulling us out of the moment. Not on our watch! Slow down, take it in, and do it right.

8. RSVP "no" to an out-of-town wedding.

You'd jet off to Siberia for your best friend's I-dos, but for that random former-dormmate's marriage vows, look at it this way: You will drop hundreds on the plane ticket, rental car, hotel room, and gift and also waste vacation time, all for the glory of nibbling stale cocktail weenies and doing the Electric Slide with a bunch of drunken strangers.

Weddings are a blur for the bride and groom, and if you're not close to them, trust us, they won't miss you. Instead, buy the lovebirds a more expensive gift from their registry. They'll be stoked, and you'll still save a bundle.

9. Refuse to say you're sorry.

Unless you've really screwed something up, flick off that it's-all-my-fault autopilot switch when it comes to your opinions, needs, and wants. Chronic apologizing — as in "I'm so sorry, what are the specials today?" or responding to "Do you need a bag with that?" with "Yeah [wince], sorry!" — blows your confidence by training you to think you've done wrong when you haven't.

To curb this "sorry" habit, pay attention to how many mea culpas you offer in a day. Then replace the self-flagellating phrase with please, excuse me... or nothing at all.