How To Set Boundaries Like A Boss

“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”- Brene Brown.

I started my business almost 5 years ago and kissed the corporate life goodbye in exchange for the freedom to create my own life, filled with optimism and a passion to get shit done. ⁠⁠
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And just starting out in a business like mine,

It’s scary, right?

I was juggling a lot of client work while trying to keep the work scope practical and you know what happened?

I quickly went from working 9 to 5 to 24/7.

And even saying that I just threw up in my mouth a little bit thinking about how past optimistic, passionate Ash was feeling. ⁠⁠
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I am not going to say a 9 to 5, corporate job is the way to go, but I will say my boundaries were well-defined in that setting, and in creating my own business, I realized why a lot of people "stick it out" in more traditional settings.⁠⁠
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I quickly realized that if I wanted to stay passionate about my business, if I really wanted to continue to GET SHIT DONE, I actually had to SAY NO A LOT.
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It took all the courage I had to set those boundaries because I didn’t want to lose clients, I didn’t want to let them down, and I didn’t want to hold my business back. ⁠⁠
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And now, all these years later I have created the relationships with my clients that I've always dreamt of cultivating and have built a team of incredible people who can focus on what they are most passionate about too. ⁠⁠

All of these NOs later and I am saying YES to the all the things that matter most in my life. ⁠⁠

Boundaries you set for yourself, boundaries you set for your expectations, and boundaries you set for your clients.

But it’s easier said than done right?!

You can create policies and procedures ahead of time to deliver to your clients.

This is where you draw the line in the sand BEFORE they are crossed.

But here is the thing, you have to follow through on those boundaries first to set the example.

I started with things like what hours they could get a hold of me and how quickly they could expect a response. Great right?

Not so much, because I never actually followed through on the boundaries I set.

I told them they could only get a hold of me from 8 AM - 5 PM, yet I answered emails at 10 PM at night. I told them I wouldn’t answer text messages, yet I reached out to them to ask a quick question via iMessage.

Creating the boundaries is the easiest step in the process, the hardest is actually implementing them.

I was afraid of sticking to the boundaries I had communicated because I worried that if I didn’t answer a client’s email at 10 PM that they would cancel their services.

Then one day I woke up and realized that the client who is going to cancel their services because I didn’t answer their email at 10 PM is not a client I want to have.

And that same day is the day I realized how important it was for me to set boundaries for myself too!

How much do I want to work each day? Do I want to schedule in time to run? My morning practices and evening gratitude time. 

When we set and stick to boundaries we create an environment, that supports a healthy mindset, business, and lifestyle. And in that environment, every aspect of our lives will thrive!