Simple Boundaries You Need to Conquer Your Work Week
When I first met Kristen, there were two distinct things I loved about her: her radiating happiness and her ability to make anyone (even an introvert like me) feel like they’re part of the gang.
This girl was born to be a productivity coach.
In August, Kristen came on my Instagram Live series, DIY Creative Content where we talked about setting work boundaries to conquer your week. As someone prone to hopping from one project to the next, I knew this would be something that I (and others) could benefit from.
If you missed it, don’t worry— you can catch the replay on my Instagram if you need to fill your boat with productivity tips.
However, since you’re here, I’m going to go over what we talked about, along with some takeaway productivity tips that you can start implementing today!
The Ultimate Guide to Setting Work Boundaries to Conquer Your Work Week
My mind is always going at 150 mph. As a creative entrepreneur, my ideas are never stagnant.
Needless to say, I’m easily distracted (squirrel!).
This is a massive problem as a business owner. It means unfinished To-Do lists, task overwhelms, and ultimately, a terrible work-life balance. Knowing that Kristen is a productivity coach with lots of tangible tips under her belt, I felt that she was the best source to understand and implement everyday, simple boundaries.
And I was not disappointed! Here’s what I learned:
Plan Your Day in Advance
Kristen says this one might seem basic, but there’s a lot to consider when you plan your workdays.
I personally write out my entire week’s To-Do list early on Monday morning on my way to the gym. As a one-person team, setting work boundaries for me means only allowing 3-4 tasks per day on my To-Do list.
So why was I still ending every single week with a mountain of unfinished tasks?
According to our favorite productivity coach, it was because a lot of things on my list weren’t time-sensitive or feasible.
My To-Do lists would look something like his:
Monday:
✅ Write 2K word blog
✅ Edit 4 client videos
✅ Schedule 30 posts
✅ Updated keyword research for 3 clients
It takes me 2 hours minimum to write a 2,000-word blog. Editing four videos might take me 3-4 hours, depending on the complexity of the videos. Scheduling 30 posts is a 2-hour endeavor, and keyword research for three clients probably takes me 3 hours.
So while my list only has four items, it’s really an 11-hour workday.
Clearly, I was not setting any boundaries for myself. And my productivity was plummeting because of it.
Not to mention my mental health.
Takeaway Tips: Not everything is a priority. Work on things that move the needle forward, get clients in the door, or things that are going to make your current clients happy.
Then, reevaluate and move on from there.
Have a HARD Stopping Point
Setting work boundaries means you need to define your personal boundaries first.
In other words, your clients can’t respect your boundaries if you don’t have any for yourself.
Kristen says that a hard stopping point is the same time you designate every workday to shut everything down. Kristen’s stopping point is at 4:30 p.m. every day.
But even as a productivity coach, Kristen still has a hard time sticking to this rule herself. Sometimes she’ll work until 5 p.m!
I found this comment admirable. For me, working past my stopping point would be saying that instead of working until 6 p.m. every day, I’ll overwork myself and stop at 11p.m.
That’s an additional 5 hours I (and my brain) didn’t plan.
Takeaway Tip: Be strict with your stopping point. You can set a timer on your phone, or maybe get creative and have an actual punch out card to remind yourself that it’s time to wind down on your hard day’s work.
I hear that giving yourself an end-of-day reward works as well 😉 (hello, wine!).
Know Your Magic Hours
These are going to be the hours where you’re highly focused. Kristen says her magic hours are between 8:30-11a.m. Mine is from 2-5 p.m.
This is why you need to find what works for you.
I’m not really a morning person. Even if I didn’t go the gym first thing in the morning, I’m simply not the type of person who can jump into work right away. As a night owl, I know that my magic hours happen later in the day.
For years, people have been talking about how successful people start work at sunrise. But there are plenty of successful entrepreneurs who work best at night.
Find your magic hours— whenever that might be.
During our Live, I asked Kristen if she has days where she feels like she doesn’t get enough done.
She said no— Not anymore.
As a productivity coach, Kristen understands that this is one of the hardest things to break— thinking you need to work that full 8 hours in order to feel satisfaction from what you’ve done.
This is why priorities are a huge part of setting work boundaries for a work-life balance that truly works.
When working on a project, Kristen says that you should ask yourself, “Am I feeling creative enough to take this on?”
If you’re not, you should save it for another day.
Takeaway Tip: Plan your next day/week during your magic hours. If you’re not feeling focused, swap out your more creative tasks with another task you had planned for later in the week.
And if you’re experiencing constant burnout— hire a productivity coach!
Are you still having trouble setting work boundaries? Contact Kristen, if you want to take action and conquer your work week!
By Tiffani Daniel
Your Creative Content
