How Can You Say No Without Getting in Trouble?

I have someone I work with who helps me with content. She assists me with writing course descriptions, research, worksheets for courses, etc. A year or so ago, I threw a lot of work her way and her response to me was, "How would you prioritize these different projects?". It was her way of saying, "No, I can't do all of this, you need to pick and choose." It took me a while to realize that what she was really doing was saying no to me, but in a way that didn't cause any tension or friction. This is much better than saying something like, "Sorry I can't do all of this," or "Sure, I can do it", but then not being able to deliver. It made me realize that I was indeed throwing too much work at her, and it forced me to think about what projects were important and what could wait. She still uses this every time we speak--it's an amazing technique that anyone can use. Give it a shot and see what happens!