Are you honouring your own business boundaries? As an entrepreneur, you must have boundaries in place. They help you respect yourself and those things you hold dear whilst also communicating your expectations to others.
But it’s also quite common for entrepreneurs to ignore the very boundaries they’ve set! You find yourself letting standards slip, missing out on things you want to do and feeling deflated over a ‘win’ you’ve achieved. So why is this? Why do you find yourself sidestepping your own boundaries, and what do you need to do to start honouring them again?
Do you know what your business boundaries are?
When was the last time you took a look at your business boundaries? Do you even remember what they are? It’s easy for standards and boundaries to slip over time. You start saying yes to things that don’t necessarily feel right for you or working a little later than you originally anticipated.
If you want to start honouring your own boundaries, you need to know what they are. So sit and write down what you want from your business, how you see your perfect day and what tasks you’d love to focus on.
Common ways you may be avoiding honouring your own boundaries
Become aware of the different ways you’re not honouring your own boundaries. Do you let interruptions rule your day? Is social media your go-to procrastination tool of choice, or do you find your email notifications too tempting to avoid? Are you sticking to your working day, or do you find yourself working more and more in the evening? Have you stopped following those mindset and health routines that helped keep you focused and energised?
Don’t let passion get in the way
It isn’t just the negative things that can impact your boundaries. Sometimes, it’s your passion for work that can get in the way. This is often the case when you find yourself getting lost in the work you’re doing. That one hour slot you allocated for a task could turn into three. You may love your work so much that it’s easier for you to keep working rather than take a much-needed day off.
Be honest with yourself
If you want to honour your own business boundaries, you need to start being honest with yourself. How are you with your own boundaries? Are you a little flaky? Do you know what gets in your way? Are you using something as an excuse for sidestepping a boundary because it’s easier than upholding it? Are you letting yourself be influenced by others or trying to work in a way that’s considered more the ‘norm’?
Solve the real problem, not the symptom
When you get honest with yourself, you can start to address the real problem. Because often, it’s easier to work on the symptom rather than face the real issue. For instance, scrolling social media may be the symptom, but your time management could be the real problem. Are you getting enough time with your family, or do you feel guilty over having to work? Do you need to hire someone to help out, and Are you focusing on the right things to reach your business goals?
You can’t hope to honour your own business boundaries if you don’t know what they are. But you also need to be honest with yourself over the reasons why you’re not sticking to the boundaries you set.
It’s often easier to ignore the boundary you’ve set rather than addressing the real problem. Because often, the real problem is something more personal or deeper than you’re willing to look. It’s something that’s linked to a fear or limitation that’s had a hold over you for a while.
But that’s when you need to remind yourself why you set yourself boundaries in the first place. They’re often in place to help protect you and what you hold dear – whether that’s your feelings, your goals or your family. So you then need to ask yourself, are you willing to strengthen that boundary to protect what you hold dear or give in to your fears and limitations?
If you need a little help taking the helm of your business and getting everything organised and under control, we have a programme that will help. The Getting Organised Programme covers everything you need to put you in control of the critical areas of your business, so you’re running your business (and not the other way around!). It helps you to create the business you love on the solid foundations it needs. You can find more about the Getting Organised Programme here.
