Setting Boundaries

I recently went for a winter walk in my neighbourhood after a snowfall. One section of the sidewalk I was on was completely cleared of snow. The edges of the cleared area were perfectly lined up with the adjacent home. Snow remained on either side of the fully cleared walkway. The person that shoveled the snow only cleared the snow in front of their home and not an inch more. I thought, “This person is good at setting boundaries.”

“It is necessary, even vital, to set standards for your life and the people you allow in it.” – Mandy Hale

Boundary setting limits how much of your time and energy you’re willing to give to others. My Fear of Saying No post provides some boundary setting tips to help when someone asks you for your help. What about setting boundaries for yourself to ensure a balanced lifestyle? Prior to my pause in blogging, I created a rule for myself that I would create a blog post every two weeks. I followed that rule for two years. Now that I’m resuming my efforts, I’m re-evaluating my self-imposed rule. Now, I will post when I have time for it in between other fear-facing endeavours. I’m setting boundaries for myself to ensure that I can allocate my time and energy across multiple goals while still having some time for myself.

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.” - Betsy Jacobson, Business Consultant

Good boundary setting creates the opportunity for a balance around how you use your time and energy. Achieving that balance is about making a commitment to yourself to stick to those boundaries so that you have enough time and energy to devote to what really matters to you.