Small business owners and boundaries – How
So, how do you start putting boundaries in place?
This is a muscle that has to grow and be strengthened – so just as in lifting weights, start small!
Can you block off a few hours during one morning a week to get stuff done around the house? Block off the weekend to spend time with the kids. Or even block time off every few weeks to get caught up on running the business!
Here is what I would recommend and how I have started to put boundaries in place for me.
1) Calendar: Pull it out and put in appointments for the next 3 months. That includes vacations, doctor appointments, kids soccer games, birthday’s… any time where you need to, or want to be available. This is a simple small way to start practicing with boundaries.
These are important enough to be written on your calendar so they are important enough to honor and make sure that you keep that appointment.
If three months was easy and felt good, go wild and fill out another 3 months!
2) Take time off: Gasp – take time off, shut down email, phone AND the computer! Yep that’s right. For some just taking off a few hours one morning a week is a huge accomplishment and about all they can handle. Great! Start somewhere.
3) Take more time off: Bigger Gasp – you mean take more then a few hours away from the office?! Absolutely! Now that you have practiced taking a few hours, TAKE A WHOLE DAY. I know feels strange doesn’t it?
Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Increased productivity
- Increased creativity
- Clearer head
- Less stress
- Better health
- ….I could go on
The benefits of exercising the boundaries muscle and getting into the habit of actually stepping away from the desk and the business are unbelievable. I’m just beginning to see the potential myself.
I started with taking Sunday off, that day I’m not allowed to work. Next step was reducing my Saturday hours and I do pretty good on this one… mostly. Third step was blocking off 1 day per month to get away from email and client work to concentrate on my biz and tackle personal projects with looming deadlines.
I’m addicted now and plan to continue to exercise my boundaries muscle and start taking more time off, start getting back to my hobbies, playing with my dog and being available to my family without stressing out – what a novel idea!
The word boundaries sounds so confining and stifling but guess what, it really is just the opposite for many, it has been for me. Putting boundaries between your personal and professional life is actually quite liberating!
