Early in your career, you may feel pressure to say “yes” to everything. It makes sense. You’re new. You’re trying to build a good reputation. But remember: Reserving your energy for the most important work — the work that will benefit you and your ambitions — will make you more successful than taking on tasks you don’t have the bandwidth to handle. Here’s how to say “no” to your boss. Take a day to think about whether the task will help or hurt you. Saying “yes” to tasks outside of your comfort zone can be really rewarding, but if you say “yes” to everything, you’re basically saying “no” to doing a good job at anything. There’s a point at which spreading yourself too thin will cause a dip in your performance. Tell your boss why you’re turning a task down. Simply saying “no” leaves room for your boss to assume why you won’t accept a task or are declining a project. Back up your answer with data. If you have time, spend a day or two tracking how much time you’re spending on each item on your current to-do list before deciding if you have the bandwidth to take on another task.