Three months into 2021 and I need to know: How are your boundaries holding up? If you’re anything like me, I told myself this was going to be the year I stopped friending all of my clients on Facebook and replying to emails at 1:00am. While boundaries can definitely be difficult to set, think of them as protective barriers to your success. From me to you, here are five of my boundary setting practices:
- Determine and set your online (and offline) hours. Admittedly I haven’t created a rigid time schedule, but I have established cut-off times (ex. “dinner time”) and designated free time (Bachelor Monday’s IYKYK) to set time based boundaries which can blur the easiest.
- Establish your preferred method of communication – and no, it doesn’t have to be Instagram. Ask yourself: How can clients contact me? What platforms am I available on or using? Personally, I leave most of my communication in the EM(ail)s, but opt for a phone or video call when brainstorming and meeting potential clients.
- Outline the editing, feedback, and revision process which can get a little messy sometimes. Two boundaries that changed the game for me were: Establishing the number of revisions included in my estimate and setting a time limit for client feedback.
- Set deadlines, because it is possible for things to go on for too long. Whether you use Asana, Basecamp, Trello, etc., ensure the client and you are in agreement with and tracking to the same deadlines.
- Try to avoid making exceptions – I know, this one is hard. One of the first things I did was define what constitutes the need for an exception. Your definition will differ based on your area of business, personal life, and workstyle, however it’s important to have one so you know when or why an exception should be made.