As a leader, we have all heard the term balance. And certainly, the goal of life is to try to live in balance with all the demands and responsibilities that come our way. So, in the name of balance, we are constantly trying to tip the scales evenly between professional and personal, which becomes a circus act
The challenge is it is increasingly difficult to live in balance the higher we go in our success. In fact, the more influence and authority you gain, the more time it can require of you. I have seen many high-level leaders, and even myself question if gaining more opportunity is even worth it. Trying to live in balance is like chasing infinity; you just never quite catch it.
There is a better word we need to live by that trumps balance. And that word is boundaries. You see, if you don’t create boundaries around your life you’ll get lost in the sea of business. You’ll never know how to create balance in your life without boundaries to guide you. Understand that living in balance is an overflow of creating boundaries. You can’t truly live in
Here’s some tips on how to create boundaries:
1) Draw Lines Around Your Day
Without clear boundaries, on your day it will never end. And your day must end in order for you to recover and rejuvenate. If you’re always available you’ll never be sustainable. Too many leaders blur their boundary lines causing them to drift off into an imbalanced life. Give your day hard starts and hard stops to keep from losing yourself. Draw lines around your limits or you’ll limit your energy and focus.
2) Only Do What Only You Can Do
If someone else can do it, let them do it! Stop taking on things that others could be or should be doing. The moment you start doing things someone else can do is the moment you stop doing what only you can do. Protect your value and strengths by staying in them. Give yourself to the things that are the most valuable for you to do. Only do something as a last resort. Your tasks should be filtered through this series of questions:
- Does it have to be done?
- Can someone else do it?
- Does it have to be done now?
- Can I start it and hand it off later?
- Then I’ll do it.
3) Stop Feeling Guilty
Guilt will limit your possibilities. Never creating boundaries because you feel pressure, shame, fear, unworthiness, or whatever negative emotion it is, will steal your life. Too many leaders feel they need to always be advancing and achieving in order to be successful. They chase more, more, more. But in doing so, they slow themselves down. The secret to success is not in trying to do it all but in narrowing your focus to do some. Change your mindset from a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none to a master-of-some-trades-and-jack-of-none.
Give yourself permission to set boundaries so you experience a balanced life. The people around you and the future in front of you needs you to be your best.
