When we think of boundaries, we often think of the boundaries we set for our kids rather than for ourselves. They’re the rules and restrictions we give them to move within to keep them safe, secure and happy.
But boundaries are also important in areas of our own lives and work to keep us safe and on track to achieve our goals.
Boundaries can be budgets, diets, policies and procedures, code of conduct, moral values, ethics and so much more.
When we’re saving to buy a house or watching our spending to ensure we can make our mortgage repayments or even if we want to improve profitability at work, we need to pay attention to our budget – both income and expenses.
If we have a goal to improve our health, we often need to pay more attention to our diet, exercise routine, work/life balance or sleeping patterns.
If we’re recruiting new team members at work, they need to know their job description, scope of work, escalation process, who to go to for help and support plus the values and goals of the business.
I often find that if I’m struggling with a particular area of life or work, it’s because I’m not paying attention to those boundaries – or I don’t have boundaries set. Spending some time figuring those out and putting them in place and then working within them usually fixes the problem.
But the first step is always to figure out where I’m going wrong. What boundaries are missing?
Then I get to work individually, with my husband, my family or my work team to create that framework to move within.
Getting buy-in from others who are affected is also vitally important to success in my experience.
Sometimes, magic happens when we move out of those boundaries that are too restrictive or no longer working.
The secret is awareness and knowing when to stay within the lines and when to break free.
