Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling to set boundaries? Do you feel like you’re saying yes to too many things and not making time for things that bring you joy? If so, you’re not alone. In this blog post, I share how I got stuck and almost walked away from something I enjoyed doing. I also share how I was able to prioritize what matters and begin to regain balance in my life. Keep reading to find out how, by setting boundaries, you can get back on track and make this year your best year yet!
Why is it important to set boundaries?
Setting boundaries is an essential part of living a healthy, balanced life. When we set boundaries, we tell ourselves and others what we need and how we want to be treated. Boundaries help to protect our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. They ensure that others respect our values, needs, and desires.
Boundaries also help us to create healthy relationships with those around us. When we are clear about our boundaries, we communicate our expectations to those we interact with. This can help us to form meaningful connections with people and to avoid unnecessary conflict. Setting boundaries allows us to create relationships based on mutual respect, understanding, and trust.
Identify your why: Reflect on why you started, your goals, and why you enjoy it.
Identifying your why is crucial in maintaining motivation and energy around a project or goal. Reflecting on why you started something and why you enjoy it can be a great way to reignite the passion and drive you had when you first began the project.
In a recent podcast episode, “What the Heck Happened,” I discussed what led to a six-month podcast hiatus. I needed to pause and reflect on why I started the podcast and enjoyed doing the show. When I did, I realized the podcast was making a difference in people’s lives. I could see this with the great feedback I received from listeners. But, I also noticed I was overwhelmed with everything I had taken on. Part of my reaction was to stop releasing podcast episodes. I began to doubt myself and what I was doing. Going back to my why allowed me to remember why I started the podcast in the first place and how much I enjoyed hosting the show.
I missed hosting the show. To start the podcast again, I had to re-evaluate my life and business to recognize that some things I was doing were not adding value. I had to learn to say no to things not aligned with my goals. By reflecting on my why, I was able to reignite the passion and drive I had for the podcast.
Knowing why you started something and why you enjoyed it can be a great way to stay motivated and inspired. It can be a powerful motivator for continuing a project or goal and help provide clarity and direction.
Take a step back to regroup and reflect.
To take a step back and regroup and reflect, the best way to go about it is to start by taking a moment to acknowledge what is happening. In my case, I felt overwhelmed and was not releasing any new episodes for the show. To start the reflection process, I asked myself why I felt the way I was feeling and avoided releasing episodes. I then thought about what the true purpose of the show was and the goal I had when I started. This allowed me to reflect on the success I had achieved and the positive feedback I was receiving.
Reassessing what is important to you is essential to moving forward and reaching your desired outcome. I reflected on what I value in life, my goals, and how it all came together. It became clear that I was saying yes to too many things that weren’t adding value to my business or life; I was overwhelmed and needed to set boundaries.
I had to take a step back and think about why I started podcasting in the first place and how important it was to me. I needed to make some changes and learn to say no to get back on track.
Once I had reassessed my choices and my goals, I made a plan. I was determined to make podcasting a priority and to take ownership of my own life and career. I set clear boundaries for myself and the people around me and committed to the most important things. Setting aside time each week to work on podcasting would help me make progress. But I have learned not to be so hard on myself, to take things one step at a time, and celebrate the small wins.
By taking the time to reassess my goals and choices, I could make more mindful decisions and create a plan that would help me reach my desired outcome. If you are in a similar situation, take a step back, regroup, and consider what changes you need.
Make changes to get back on track for where you want to go.
To make effective changes, you must reflect on the choices you have been making and how you have been living. It may mean restructuring your actions and setting boundaries to avoid becoming overwhelmed. It could also mean learning to say no to things not adding value and to people not offering anything in return. This can be difficult, but it is essential to create a balance to stay on track.
One way to make changes is to plan and set goals for yourself. Having a plan can help you stay focused and on track. It can be beneficial to break up goals into smaller, achievable steps and to reward yourself for completing them. This helps to build momentum and keep you motivated. Additionally, it is essential to be realistic and not put too much pressure on yourself. Everyone has limitations, so being mindful and kind to yourself is crucial.
To make changes, it is important to have a growth mindset. This means you are open to learning and trying new things. It also means you are willing to take risks and not fear failure. A growth mindset can help you stay focused on the end goal and keep pushing forward. It is important to remember that change is not easy but possible. By staying open-minded, setting goals, and being kind to yourself, you can make the changes necessary to get back on track.
Set boundaries to protect your time and energy.
Setting boundaries is an essential step to protecting your time and energy. This means making conscious decisions about what activities or commitments you are willing and not willing to take on. When faced with situations or requests that could be draining, it is important to ask yourself if this genuinely adds value to your life. If not, don’t be afraid to say no. Limiting your time on activities or events that don’t bring you joy is also important. This could be as simple as setting a timer or limiting the time spent on emails.
Setting boundaries is also about knowing when to take a break and take some time for yourself. It can be easy to get into the habit of “doing” all the time and not taking time to rest and recharge. Taking regular breaks, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that bring you joy are all important parts of protecting your time and energy. This wasn’t an easy adjustment, but I am working on it.
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Prioritize: Prioritize what brings you joy and make time for those things.
To prioritize what brings you joy and make time for those things, start by self-assessing your day-to-day activities. Notice which activities bring you joy and which activities cause you stress. When you spent time regrouping and reflecting, you may have noticed how you spent your time. Once you have identified which activities bring you joy, make time for them.
Focus on carving out time in your day or week to dedicate to these activities and prioritize them. This can be done by creating a schedule and blocking out time. However, it is important to be realistic when creating the schedule. Be sure to account for the other activities you may need to do throughout the day.
It is also important to note that you should not be too hard on yourself if you cannot always prioritize what brings you joy. It is ok to have days where you must focus on other activities. For example, you may have a particular work assignment that isn’t your favorite thing to do. But don’t forget to take breaks when you need to. Taking breaks is vital for self-care and can help to re-energize you.
Finally, remember that prioritizing what brings you joy is essential for your mental and physical health, so make time for activities that energize and excite you.
Set Boundaries and create more joy and success!
Setting boundaries and saying no will help create space in your day for activities that bring you joy, which is important to living a healthy and balanced life.
Knowing how much joy the podcast creates for the listeners and me, I chose to implement a plan that allows me to continue doing the show. There are a lot of exciting episodes to release, from relationships, travel, money, and more; we have a lot to talk about. I’m ready to get back to enjoying what I do and give my best to the show and its listeners.
Don’t be discouraged if you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck. You can get back on track and make this year your best year yet! Take the time to reflect on your why, and prioritize the activities that bring you joy. With dedication and determination, you can achieve the success, happiness, and growth you desire. Here’s to YOUR success!
Carolyn R. Owens is an ICF-certified Master Coach and serves as a Career Strategist, Executive, Leadership, and Mentor Coach. She can assist you by helping you up-level your skills to up-level your income, career, business, or life. Carolyn provides one-on-one and group coaching, organizational training, and personality assessments. She is certified to give the Energy Leadership Index and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can learn more about assessments and other products and services at https://www.infinitycoaching.net.
