How to leverage your boundaries

You can start exercising that boundaries muscle and by taking time off but there are times that no matter how important it is you just can’t seem to get there. Or you get there but you work literally the entire day before to get ready to take time off and extra hours the day after to catch up.

That is what has happened to me, more than once! That is when I realized, that this virtual assistant, needed a virtual assistant! Yep even VA’s need VA’s. One of the best decisions I made was to start outsourcing and get a bookkeeper, oh yeah, that was fun! The next team member I brought on was someone to help with newsletters, both for my clients and for me. Oh yeah, that was even more fun!

Consider it this way, outsourcing to a virtual assistant is really all about exercising that boundaries muscle. You are leveraging your boundaries. You betcha, you can leverage a boundary.

How to leverage a boundary:

1) Outsource what you are not good at: Put a boundary on what you do not know how to do or have time to learn and get your focus back on your strengths. By biz coach, Justin over at LukasCoaching.com and I talk about this quite a bit. Your day to day activities should be 80% in your strengths, the other 10% working on the weak areas.

2) Outsource what is not revenue generating for you: If it is not one of your strengths or it does not generate revenue for you, it is actually costing you time and money. Neither one is good and together a bad combo to deal with.

3) Outsource what has been on the back burner for too long: If you are like most entrepreneurs your project list and wish list is a mile long and you can’t seem to get to it. Even though you know it would help your business and move it forward. Getting it off the back burner and front and center for your VA is leveraging a boundary and putting plans into action.

Learning to leverage your boundaries is another area that will take some practice. Outsourcing is not easy at first, it is hard to relinquish control – good ole’ entrepreneuritis (I have to do it all myself syndrome).

But guess what… relinquishing control and outsourcing, empowers your team to get the job done, leverages your boundaries and moves your business forward while still are taking time off, not bad!

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!

Small business owners and boundaries – Why

Yep, boundaries. That is something  I have been thinking about and just recently read a blog post by a colleague that got me thinking.

As a small business owner it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day details and forget to come up for air.  Then there is technology. Technology that allows just about anyone to find you anywhere, anytime…. personally I love technology, but to a point.

There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and tell yourself, hey it is okay to take some time off! I’m finding the more I give myself permission to do that, the more I get done and the the chance to get re-energized for the next project.

Why boundaries:

1) Give your brain a break: That is one of the things I think is hardest for entrepreneurs – turning off the brain and let it start to quiet down. Allowing the flurry of ideas slow down so you are not constantly thinking and analyzing at 1000 miles per hour (no wonder so many of us get insomnia!)

2) Get a fresh perspective: When you start putting boundaries in place you start to see your business, and your role in it,  from a different point of view. You start seeing the big picture again and get reconnected with your goals and vision for your business.

3) Enjoy your family: Putting boundaries on your time at work (whether that is a home office our you leave the house to get to the office) allows you to relax, get some down time with the family and have some fun. When you are fully present with your family (and friends too!) and not constantly consumed with business, your connections with them grow and deepen.

There is nothing so frustrating like waiting for someone to FINALLY get off the computer so you can go run those errands you have been putting off, go to that family outing you have been planning, go play at the beach, play a game with the kids….. sound familiar!

If you notice the boundaries I am talking about here are self-imposed, boundaries that you need to place on yourself. This can be oh so hard to do, but sharing from personal experience is oh so rewarding!

What areas do you need to start putting boundaries in your business life?