I can’t count the number of days that I’ve made a to-do list to get X, Y and Z accomplished only to find myself frustrated at the end of the day because I barely made it through X.

Or worse yet, none of them.

I have been thinking a lot about boundaries lately. If this scenario sounds familiar, you might want to think about them, too.

Why Should I Define My Boundaries?

The old saying, “Decide what you want or others will decide for you,” comes to mind.

Remember how I talked about the hidden value of time?

Time is a currency that needs to be invested wisely to reach your goals – whether training for a marathon or decluttering and organizing your closet.

Here are a few situations where it’s important to define your boundaries to better track and invest that time:

1 – Relationship Boundaries

How much time do I give to people (friends, family, business associates, strangers)?

A friend who gets you on the phone and you can’t get off the phone for 2 hours may be one of your issues preventing your productivity during the day.

Maybe in the future you could say something like – “I’m so happy that I have 20 minutes I can spend with you to catch up today.” Set your boundary up in the beginning.

2 – Work Boundaries

How much overtime (paid or unpaid) are you willing to do when asked by your boss (if you have the option)?

3 – Personal Boundaries

As I sat and reflected with my coffee this morning, I realized it’s not just other people that I need to have boundaries with – it’s me as well and how I use my time.

• How much time do I want to spend watching TV today?
• How much time do I want to dedicate to social media?
• How much “do nothing” time do I get today (and that is important)?
• How much time do I want to spend decluttering?
• How much time will I spend going through that pile of papers?

Only you can answer that.

Being mindful with your time and setting boundaries can help you feel more in control and satisfied with your day.

Of course, there are unknowns and emergencies that come up and you may have to abandon your plan some days but that’s life.

It’s not about what happens occasionally but what happens most of the time that matters.

Think about it.

Do you want to try out some better boundaries?

Are you ready to make a change in how you manage your home?

If you’d like help in setting some boundaries or whipping any area of your home into shape, I’d be glad to help.

You can book a coaching appointment with me here.

I would love to work with you on whatever will make you feel successful.

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Linda Bee is a Decluttering School coach who works with clients to declutter and organize their homes while specializing in time management. Connect with Linda on our coach network.