Though I’ve been a work-from-home mama for half a year already, I was a work-at-an-office girl woman for 7 years. Today I want to build up and encourage my fellow desk-job employees: set boundaries.
I can’t speak for every office, nor every situation. There are myriad circumstances I’ve never experienced. BUT! I can promise that God never changes and His provisions surpass what any human can promise. Of course, what God moves you to may surprise you, but that is between Him and you.
Here are five ways you can consider adding boundaries into your workflow without completely rocking the boat, successfully employed by your’s truly.
1. Choose when you’re going to check (and respond) to your email.
Wise people treasure knowledge,
Proverbs 10:14, NLT
but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.
As a society, we’re used to shooting emails off in the place of phone calls or drop-ins, but many still expect the replies to come within the hour. This may hold true when it comes to your boss or a tight deadline, but it isn’t the case for every question you receive via email. It’s also beneficial to dedicate a special time to answer so you can answer with all your attention and employ some wisdom for the best results.
It helps a ton (both as an employee and when you’re self-employed) to assign yourself some email boundaries. Not only does this improve your productivity, but it also (over time) teaches people to manage their communications with you differently.
Sidenote: Not everyone will get it/catch on, even if you send out an office or department-wide email. However, many do notice and it benefits you and workflow!
I have several times that I check email each day, replying to the most time-sensitive first, then the rest in the order I received them. When my email window is up, I resume working on projects.
It’s funny how odd I felt not checking my email incessantly. Yet with each passing week, I realized something beautiful: most people actually don’t need immediate responses as long as you don’t kick their question down the line for days and days. Talk about taking a load off!
You can set push notifications for anyone who’s an exception. 😉
2. Put blocks on your calendar.
But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40, NLT
For seven years I juggled multiple hats under one job title. I oversaw the overall brand; developed the marketing campaigns and strategies for over 40 events, series, and services; designed the marketing materials; managed and trained a student team of assistants; and implemented the strategy via over a dozen different avenues.
Needless to say, in a 40-hour workweek I struggled to achieve all of those to quality standards.
Until!
Until I took a look at the calendar of a dear friend and mentor. She blocked off portions of her calendar to achieve solo tasks. And let the world see it. Talk about boundaries.
Prior to this, I left my calendar open despite filling my day with work, so that I could be my most available for drop-ins and meetings. For the first time, I realized I could visually depict how long I needed to get certain things done and publically reserve time for them.
Uh-duh. Silly me. But grace abounds!
Not only does this allow you reprieve from meeting mania, but it also helps you hold yourself accountable when you suddenly realize your day isn’t chopped up in half a dozen tiny bits between the group meets and 1-on-1s.
3. Declare how much you can contribute up-front when you make a suggestion.
But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Luke 14:28, NLT
Ever notice that having an idea that could solve the problem often adds the problem to your plate and the solution to your job description? Of course, it’s a valuable tool when employed wisely. However, when you offer up a potential solution and you just don’t have the bandwidth to lead, include what you can contribute in your initial proposal.
Instead of saying: “Well, we could organize all of that into a spreadsheet and have everyone in the office fill it out before next week’s event.”
Say: “I would be happy to set up a spreadsheet we can all fill out before next week’s event if there is someone who has the bandwidth to ensure everyone fills it out.” That’s laying out a boundary from the jump before anyone else can set it for you.
Be sure that there is something you can contribute or that you can contribute absolutely nothing (based on the skillset required) to the solution before tossing out the idea. This is a great way of adding to the team without overspending yourself in a way you aren’t meant to be spent.
4. Work Status Cards!
A gentle answer deflects anger,
Proverbs 15:1
but harsh words make tempers flare.
Have you ever been short with someone who stops in because they just interrupted your train of thought? Even if you muster up a smile, you might fall into a mental rut/battle after an unexpected conversation that puts you into a backlog. Let me offer up a (literally) tiny potential solution.
This is my favorite of all because it involves designs. Fear not! I have a set of Status Cards you’re welcome to use. Download them below!
I got a set of these at the Seattle Interactive Conference a few years ago and despite getting a ton of awesome marketing takeaways while there, THIS is the biggest and most impactful thing I got.
You’ll need a way to affix the cards to the top of your computer (or elsewhere that people will see about the same time they see you–or earlier). I like these cute 3M clips.
Print out a set of cards (red, green, yellow). Hang/clip all three with the clip of your choice and make sure the one that reflects your current needs (silence, high-priority interruptions only, free to chat) and go to work. I didn’t even announce that I was using these, I just clipped them to the top of my computer and made sure to update them. The bright colors alerted others to them and over the course of 3-4 weeks, the whole office knew to glance at them before popping in. Boundaries.
Truly, this made a world of difference. Seeing the consideration people gave the cards also helped soften my heart when they did stop by. Make sure to set time aside most days to be intentionally green, and be ready with when you will have time when people stop in that then pause when they see the yellow or red. You want people to know you are available, just not all the time.
5. Say no.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
This act for boundaries requires so much discernment. I’m not coming at you with a snarky meme about saying no to things that are beneath you/not your problem/don’t make you happy/etc. I’m saying submit to God and ask that as you read His word that you grow in wisdom and discernment on when to say no and when to say yes.
He’s 100% going to urge you to say yes to things (projects, committees, helping others when your plate is already full) that make you uncomfortable sometimes. BUT. He is also going to 100% urge you to say no sometimes. It’s all about what He has planned for you and He takes a lot more into account than what is on your docket.
What if none of these would work at my job?
You may be right about numbers 1 through 4. But, in every job, there is a time to say no. And, at first, it may seem to break things in a bad way. But, you can trust that God has a way for you. The long-term outcome is more rewarding than you often dare to dream.
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT
These boundary-builders work great for the self-employed, too!
I’ll reword them a little to help you see how well you can integrate them from the dining room table or attic office (she says, from the dining room table).
1. Choose when you’re going to look and respond to emails.
This one doesn’t need to change. It works great and helps in an already chaotic environment.
2. Visualize your boundaries on your calendar.
Again, this doesn’t need to change. BUT. It’s super tempting to take longer breaks, start cleaning the house, or ditch work to take the kids to the zoo…all the time. So, even though home life can be somewhat unpredictable, still make sure you reserve quality time for each activity. If the Lord wants to drop in some unplanned things from time to time, He will also provide you a way to navigate it successfully. Don’t forget to consult Him on what your schedule should be.
3. Discern how much of the problem you can solve right now, and assign yourself bigger goals in stages.
You might not be in the staff meeting or board room, but you will encounter every problem your business faces. And, you’re the only one around to do anything about it. Unless, aha!, you trust in God. He is the best CEO for your business. When a problem comes to light, don’t feel you’re alone and that all the success is up to you just because you’re self-employed. God will guide you through and provide. No exceptions. That’s who He is when we allow Him to be in charge.
4. Communicate when you’re working.
Whether it’s cards, different toys that represent each state (red, yellow, green), or just certain times of day that need to be quiet time–it’s important to let your family and/or roommates know when you need to get work done and what time you’ve set aside especially for them. Show that you have boundaries to protect work from distraction and to protect them from workaholism.
It’s easy to slip off to the computer when you have a few minutes to try and knock out a tiny project, write-up, or email. BUT! It can make a mess of things quickly. It can swallow us up fast. On the flip side, it’s easy to relent every time someone wants your time and end up failing to follow through where you’re getting paid to work.
5. Say no.
This literally applies exactly the same.
You’ve got this!
But I’d love to join you in prayer about it. Send me a prayer request! I always love opening my inbox to one!