How can I make my colleagues stop exploiting me?

I'm tempted to say by growing a pair. How are they exploiting you?
 
Jamal said:
To avoid unpleasantness, I often do more than I should. Sometimes this happens in good faith, and I only find out afterwards that I got a raw deal.

Lately I am considering deliberately messing up a project so that they stop asking me to do things.
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Worked for me at home wrt ironing and shopping :)
 
A word from the wise- if you make yourself irreplacable, you will find yourself hard to replace.
Growing a pair is a bit of a harsh statement, but he's right in a sense of speaking. Be firm in your protest and always have an excuse as to why you cant, but make it a good one. after a while they will stop asking you.
If they dont? then sit them down and outline why you are not wanting to do this for them. explain to them your feelings on the matter- any decent human being will want to listen to your side of the story.
 
Jamal said:
To avoid unpleasantness, I often do more than I should. Sometimes this happens in good faith, and I only find out afterwards that I got a raw deal.

Lately I am considering deliberately messing up a project so that they stop asking me to do things.
Click to expand...

Dads business partners always gave my dad to much work (My Dad is a nice guy so they take advantage of that),so he just said enough is enough.
 
Jamal said:
To avoid unpleasantness, I often do more than I should. Sometimes this happens in good faith, and I only find out afterwards that I got a raw deal.

Lately I am considering deliberately messing up a project so that they stop asking me to do things.
Click to expand...

Well, stop trying to avoid unpleasantness for a start. What good is that if you feel k@k because you're being taken advantage of?

I second that you learn to say no. Make it your default answer and let people try and convince you if they really want you to do something.

And only do as much as is fair. If the excrement hits the air blower you say this is how much I've done show us how much you've done.
 
Perhaps you want to feel needed/important to them, and that is why you accept their treatment. And perhaps you're scared that if you say no once, they'll never turn to you again, and you don't want this either. This dilemma is not a bad thing, and is quite normal. But you have to weigh this against how their abuse of your generosity makes you feel. Also, their "projects" can be stealing time and resources from you, preventing you from spending it in ways that you prefer.
 
wayfarer said:
Perhaps you want to feel needed/important to them, and that is why you accept their treatment. And perhaps you're scared that if you say no once, they'll never turn to you again, and you don't want this either. This dilemma is not a bad thing, and is quite normal. But you have to weigh this against how their abuse of your generosity makes you feel. Also, their "projects" can be stealing time and resources from you, preventing you from spending it in ways that you prefer.
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+1. they just polish your ego because they're only too happy to offload their crap onto you.
at the end of the day they think you're cool because you're their slave. they don't respect you for it.
learn to respect yourself more. try to find opportunities to get them to do stuff for you.
you'll soon see that it's not reciprocal.
 
Jamal said:
Please give me some motivation, inspiration, and advice, to make my colleagues stop using, manipulating, and exploiting me.
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Go make me some coffee and we will talk about it......

Honesty, learn to just say no, start off with the small things, even a small lie will help like saying you can't do something right now and that they should come ask again tomorrow, and work your way up. Sooner or later either you will find it easier to say no or they will find that its quicker to do things themselves.
 
Sorry; but to a degree 'grow a pair' is a fair description.

Get into the habit to say out aloud "No" as they come to your desk. Say this with a smile and make a joke and depending on the seriousness of the request either do it or don't. But literally just say no and sooner than later they will learn that it's not just easier to give it to you. They need to justify and blah, blah blah ...

"I can only please 2 people a day. Today is not looking good for you. Tomorrow is not, either ..."
 
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