39 days ago, I made the decision to quit my full-time job and fully commit to building my coaching business. This was a strategic leap of faith, but it also meant that I would need to figure things out quickly before running out of funds. To handle this pressure, I set six specific boundaries that I promised myself I would follow for the next 90 days as I built my business.

My aim with these boundaries was to become highly focused, effective, and efficient during my working hours, while still allowing myself time to relax, recharge, and enjoy my evenings and weekends. In today's blog, I will dive into the concept of boundaries, why they are important when designing your life, what we gain by implementing them, and the six boundaries I will be living by for the first half of 2024.

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What Are Boundaries?

So what are boundaries? Boundaries are guidelines, rules, or limits that individuals establish to define acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, actions, or interactions within various aspects of their lives. Boundaries can exist in personal, professional, and social contexts, and they play a crucial role in maintaining healthy relationships, both with oneself and with others. These limits help individuals communicate their needs, protect their well-being, and establish a sense of autonomy. Boundaries can be physical, emotional, or psychological and are essential for creating a respectful and balanced environment in various interpersonal dynamics. Setting and enforcing boundaries is a skill that contributes to self-care, personal growth, and maintaining fulfilling connections.

For example..

Time Management Boundaries

An entrepreneur who values work-life harmony may set clear time management boundaries. For instance, they could establish dedicated working hours and commit to finishing work at a specific time each day. This boundary helps create a structured work schedule, preventing overworking and allowing time for personal activities, family, and relaxation.

Technology Use Boundaries

To maintain a healthy work-life balance, an entrepreneur might set boundaries related to technology use. This could involve designating specific periods during the day for checking emails or business-related messages and consciously disconnecting during personal and family time. Establishing these boundaries helps prevent constant work-related interruptions and fosters a more present and focused approach in personal life.

Delegating Responsibilities Boundaries

Entrepreneurs often wear multiple hats, but those who prioritize work-life harmony may set boundaries by effectively delegating responsibilities. Delegating tasks to trusted team members allows the entrepreneur to avoid unnecessary stress and burnout, ensuring that workload is shared and personal time is preserved. This boundary supports a more sustainable and balanced approach to managing both professional and personal responsibilities.

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Why Are They Necessary?

Boundaries are crucial for several reasons such as

1. Protecting Well-being:

Boundaries serve as a protective measure for one's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. They help prevent burnout, stress, and exhaustion by defining limits on the amount of time and energy invested in different areas of life.‍

2. Maintaining Healthy Relationships:

Clear boundaries contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy relationships. They establish expectations and guidelines, fostering mutual respect and understanding between individuals. Healthy relationships thrive when each party's needs and limits are acknowledged and respected.

3. Promoting Self-Care:

Establishing boundaries is an essential aspect of self-care. It allows individuals to prioritize their own needs, engage in activities that bring joy and relaxation, and set aside time for personal growth and well-being.

4. Enhancing Productivity:

In a professional context, boundaries contribute to enhanced productivity. By clearly defining work hours, task priorities, and expectations, individuals can focus on their work without distractions, leading to increased efficiency and better outcomes.

5. Reducing Stress and Anxiety:

Having well-defined boundaries helps reduce stress and anxiety by providing a sense of predictability and control. Individuals are better equipped to manage their responsibilities and navigate challenges when they have clear guidelines in place.

6. Promoting Emotional Resilience:

Healthy emotional boundaries contribute to emotional resilience. Individuals with clear boundaries are better equipped to handle setbacks, conflicts, and challenging situations without compromising their emotional well-being.

7. Encouraging Communication:

Boundaries facilitate effective communication by providing a framework for expressing needs, desires, and concerns. When individuals communicate their boundaries, it promotes openness and understanding in relationships.

8. Fostering Personal Growth:

Establishing and respecting boundaries is a key component of personal growth. It encourages self-reflection, self-awareness, and the development of assertiveness – skills that contribute to a more fulfilling and empowered life.

Boundaries are essential for creating a balanced and fulfilling life.

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What We Get In Exchange For Boundaries

Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries can evoke a range of positive emotions and contribute to overall well-being. Here are some emotions that individuals may experience in exchange for setting and enforcing boundaries:

1. Empowerment:

Creating and asserting boundaries can empower individuals to take control of their lives, make choices that align with their values, and prioritize their well-being.

2. Confidence:

Clearly defined boundaries foster confidence in one's ability to communicate needs, expectations, and limits. Confidence arises from the assertiveness required to set and maintain boundaries.

3. Respect:

Having and enforcing boundaries promotes self-respect and, in turn, encourages others to respect personal space, preferences, and limitations.

4. Clarity:

Boundaries provide clarity in relationships and interactions, reducing ambiguity and helping individuals understand their own needs and the expectations of others.

5. Security:

Knowing that there are clear limits and expectations creates a sense of security. This security contributes to emotional well-being and allows individuals to navigate relationships with more comfort and ease.

6. Joy and Fulfillment:

Establishing boundaries allows individuals to prioritize activities that bring joy and fulfillment into their lives. It enables them to allocate time and energy to pursuits that align with their passions and values.

7. Peace of Mind:

Boundaries contribute to peace of mind by reducing stress and preventing overcommitment. Knowing that personal limits are respected provides a sense of tranquility.

8. Independence:

Setting boundaries reinforces a sense of independence, allowing individuals to maintain their autonomy and make choices that are in their best interest.

9. Healthy Relationships:

Boundaries contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy relationships, fostering mutual respect and understanding. Positive interactions within well-defined boundaries can lead to deeper connections.

10. Self-Care:

Establishing boundaries is a form of self-care. Prioritizing one's needs and well-being contributes to a positive self-care routine and promotes emotional and physical health.

11. Balanced Emotions:

Boundaries help regulate emotional responses by providing a framework for managing expectations and reducing emotional overwhelm. This leads to a more balanced emotional state.‍

12. Personal Growth:

The act of setting and enforcing boundaries encourages personal growth. It requires self-reflection, self-awareness, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Overall, the emotions exchanged for establishing boundaries are often positive and contribute to a more fulfilling and balanced life. They empower individuals to navigate relationships and life's challenges with a greater sense of confidence, clarity, and well-being.

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My Current Boundaries

My current boundaries are set up to keep me on track with my top priorities: my well-being, my relationship, and my business. None of these priorities is more important than the other; they all hold equal value.

1. No phone for the first 2 hours of the day

This practice allows me to prioritize myself before anyone else each morning. I live by the philosophy of "you win the morning, you win the day," and this boundary helps me follow through on that. When the alarm goes off, I refrain from checking texts, emails, or social media apps. Instead, I start my day by walking the dogs, meditating, working out, and getting ready. Only after completing these activities do I allow myself to open my phone.

Lately, I have also been avoiding social media until at least noon during the week, and it has had an incredible impact. I experience less comparison and distraction, and instead, I can focus and be present in the moment.

2. No meetings or calls before 2pm

I have noticed that I am most productive and creative in the morning. As a result, I have scheduled all of my calls for the afternoon. This allows me to focus completely on my most important revenue-generating tasks in the morning, and then deal with coaching, brand partnerships, or catch up calls in the afternoon. I am tempted to adopt a similar approach as Alex Hormozi, who sets a firm end point for his day at 6pm. He books his first call for 5:30pm, followed by a call at 5pm, and then one at 4:30pm. He plans his day in reverse because he also finds that his best work is done in the morning and early afternoon.

3. No working past 6p

This rule creates healthy internal pressure for me to complete tasks in a timely manner. I have a strict "stop" working time, which allows me to be efficient and effective during the hours I allocate for work. It also prevents burnout because, more often than not, by 6 PM, I am mentally exhausted from the day's activities. Any work I attempt to do after that time would be sloppy and not up to my standards. There are rare exceptions, but I would say that 99% of the time, I close my laptop by 6 PM.

4. New experience at least once per week

Although I am currently in a season of life focused on business, I still value balance. I enjoy new experiences and often find myself thinking, "this is what life is all about" during and after these moments. However, due to time and financial constraints, I only aim to have one new experience per week. This could be something as simple as visiting a new coffee shop, trying a new hike, or, most recently, attending a Candlelight Concert with a Taylor Swift theme for Kate's birthday weekend, which turned out to be a low-key epic event. These new experiences provide me with fresh perspectives and serve as a great way to reset.

5. Only 2 social commitments per week

We moved to Austin in September, so it's almost been six months since then, which is crazy to think about how fast time has flown by. We understand that building a community takes time, but it's also something that both Kate and I value a lot. That's why I'm committed to having two social engagements per week. By limiting it to two, I can be more intentional about what I say yes to and who I reach out to.

One of my regular commitments is attending my friend Danny's weekly men's run club every Tuesday morning. In addition to that, I mix in either a one-on-one with someone, a double date, or a community event or experience.

6. No extended travel for the next 90 days

Although I have a great passion for travel, it can be a significant distraction in this phase of my life. Therefore, I have set a boundary for myself to stay in Austin for the next 90 days. Traveling requires a considerable amount of time and energy, and I would rather prioritize these valuable resources towards building out the my next digitial course. For those who are unaware, I have been fully committed to developing my Design Your Life Course. This course is designed to assist entrepreneurs in aligning their personal and professional priorities to create a harmonious work-life balance. It will provide inner peace, happiness, and fulfillment. If this piques your interest, please join the waitlist linked below.

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Questions From the Community

Geoffrey: How to deal with toxicity from family members, especially when they’re very close to you.

First and foremost, the proximity of these individuals to you is irrelevant, and I say this with the utmost respect. Your well-being should always be your priority. If their toxic behavior is impacting you in any way, it is important to create distance from them and/or communicate your feelings directly to them. Clearly express that unless something changes, you will have to alter the dynamics of the relationship. Having this conversation may not be easy, but it will ultimately lead you to a better place.

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7-Day Boundaries Breakthrough Challenge:

Over the next 7 days, focus on creating and reinforcing healthy boundaries in your personal and professional life to enhance your overall well-being.

Day 1: Define Your Priorities

• List your top personal and professional priorities. Identify what truly matters to you in each area.

Day 2: Set Work Hours

• Establish specific work hours for the day. Commit to sticking to these hours as closely as possible and avoid overworking.

Day 3: Tech-Free Time

• Designate specific times to disconnect from emails, calls, and work-related technology. Create small tech-free zones for personal time.

Day 4: Prioritize Self-Care

• Incorporate at least 30 minutes of self-care. This could be exercise, meditation, reading, or engaging in a favorite hobby.

Day 5: Learn to Delegate

• Identify one task that you can delegate to someone else. Trust this person and or your team and distribute responsibilities more effectively.

Day 6: Say "No" Strategically

• Practice saying "no" to one non-essential task or commitment that doesn't align with your priorities.

Day 7: Reflect and Adjust

• Reflect on the changes you've made throughout the week. What has worked well? What needs adjustment? Plan to carry these positive changes forward.

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