Setting boundaries for your time is one thing, but being able to maintain them is another. Keeping your boundaries can be a challenge when there are so many things that need your attention. There always seem to be more things to do than you have time for. Maintaining boundaries is hard for those who have trouble saying no to other people. This is especially true because you don’t want to disappoint those who need your help or let them down.
Even though those things are all true, you still need to do what is right for you. There is a quote that says “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” This is so true when it comes to all that is being asked of you. You will need to find ways to delineate what is important to do and what is just a nice to have. You only have so much time and you need to guard it especially when it is causing you to override a boundary that you have set for yourself.
Ask yourself some questions to determine whether to let the request override your boundary:
- Does it align with your goals?
- How does it measure up to your list of personal or professional priorities?
- Do you really want to do it?
- Are you just being nice or avoiding confrontation by doing it when you don’t really want to?
I used to just give away my time without considering the impact it would have on what I needed to do. I realized that by doing that I was only hurting myself. Now I maintain my time so that no one can cross my boundaries without my permission. The decision is mine whether to let others take the time that I have reserved and I get to make the choice whether to let others take that time or not. It is so much more empowering to be able to make that choice though.
Do you have established boundaries for your time? Try setting some up some boundaries for yourself and ensure that you are maintaining them. You will find that you may have a lot more time than you think!