Boundaries

 Do you ever get the “what’s the best advice you could offer” question in your career? Pretty standard question from students, interns or new employees coming in. I have never hesitated with my answer. It has always been - never say no to a new opportunity! Even if you are being asked to do something outside of your skillset, or not part of your job description, or you really don’t want to do but you know, by doing it will put you in good stead with the person asking.

I still believe it. Approaching life and career by being open to trying new things, learning new roles, meeting new challenges has served me well. I’ve grown and continue to grow but I’m learning it can be a double-edged sword for those (me!) who struggle with setting boundaries.

As a coach this would be the question, I ask a client: by saying yes to this, what will you be saying no to? Saying yes to too many opportunities can leave you drained, overwhelmed, and run ragged trying to manage it all. How do you set boundaries, so this doesn’t happen? You weigh the pros and cons and determine how much is too much and what really makes you happy.  I can’t serve you well as a coach if I’m stretched thin, so saying no is a benefit for you. It is a good problem to have when you think about it, and so what feelings come up for me as I struggle with creating healthy boundaries? Gratitude. Pride. Happiness. I’m grateful my business has grown to the point where I have had to hire an assistant and a digital marketing creator to help me manage it all. I’m proud of the work I’ve done so far to grow the business. I’m happy because I’m EXACTLY where I wanted to be a year into this venture. Like my business, creating healthy boundaries is a work in progress 😉.