Good work boundaries are important, because they provide structure for the choices that we make in life. I jumped at the chance to work with a company that I thought had given me a great opportunity. It turned out that it wasn’t the right choice for me, because it wrecked me, all of my boundaries, and my relationships with my family. In the end, I took a summer completely off, because I had to start over with life and reassess everything. Sometimes things can be good in general, but they aren’t always good for every single person.
Here’s how you can set good work boundaries, so that you enjoy your work, and make sure that it doesn’t overtake you and your life.
Set hours.
Set up business hours that work best for you, and stick to them. Before Eric and I got married, my working hours looked a lot different. Now I work from 9am to 6pm most weekdays. I’ve found that if I stick to my working hours, other people respect them. For example, if I don’t send emails outside of working hours or on weekends, I won’t usually get emails back then, either.
Take breaks.
Take at least one day a week off. We take Saturdays to work on non-business related things, and Sunday to rest.
Manage your inbox.
Set times to check your email. A good rule of thumb is to check your email at least once when you begin work, and once before you end work for the day. I sometimes check my email more often than that, depending on what I’m working on. The main idea is to not have it pulling and distracting all day.One way I organize my inbox is by making folders for the different categories of emails that I receive, and need to have on file. Then, each time I check my email, I delete or file away emails that no longer need my attention.
Say no.
Be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do. Stick to those things. Work inside the hours that you set. Choose to work on projects that fit your criteria – no jobs that you hate, with people you don’t work well with. Say no so that you can…
Say yes.
It’s good and important to say yes to things that are 1), important to you, and 2). will grow you. There’s a difference between saying no to something that is outside of your desired realm and saying yes to something that will grow you. Boundaries and capabilities are completely different. I am learning how to hand letter, which is a good thing, because it is growing me as an artist. Plus, it’s something that I’ve wanted to learn! It will stay a good thing as long as I don’t let it float outside of my boundaries, like hours (overworking) and project criteria (clients with projects that aren’t a good fit).
Concentrate yourself.
Saying yes and no as Eric and I are guided in our businesses allows us to concentrate ourselves. Concentration produces quality. We have to realize that we cannot do and have everything in life, and be okay with that. Sometimes, I have to talk myself down off of the wall, because I chose to cook a meal for Eric and I instead of working longer. It’s good to manage time well, and part of that is making a choice in the moment about what is more important. Choose what you want to invest yourself in. Choose carefully.
I hope this helps! Do you have work boundary tips? What are some things that you fight with in your business that boundaries can relieve?