Timeout For Leadership

Hey, welcome back to Timeout for Leadership. Hey. When life feels like it's moving at the speed of light and it's hard to catch your breath, you know, you need to take a time out, find encouragement, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you've got this. This is what time out for leadership is all about. So thanks for investing in yourself and taking a timeout today. You know, I always like to start with a question, so here it is. What do you think of when you think about boundaries? What are some of the boundaries you've experienced in your life? Maybe they're boundaries you set or boundaries that have been set for you by someone else. When we think of boundaries, we typically think of fences or walls. Something that's built to mark territory and to keep something within that boundary. You know, I remember growing up outside of Chicago in a suburb, and my mom never had to ask me to go outside. We lived outside. The challenge was getting us back inside. Playing outside in the neighborhood, there were no fences. We had free reign over all the backyards, anywhere we wanted to go in the neighborhood. Up to a certain point, we knew what roads were the crossroads that were our boundaries that we couldn't cross. Everything with inside those boundaries were fair game. But we knew if we crossed the road, we would leave the safety of the neighborhood and enter a place of risk and danger. See, there's two types of boundaries that we encounter. The boundaries that keep us in and the boundaries that keep things out. You see, our neighborhood growing up was a boundary that kept us in. It defined where the safety and strength was. We never really questioned it, and the few times that one of us did, it never ended very well. Then there are those other boundaries, and they're designed to keep things out. Those things that want to hurt us, distract us, keep us from our objectives and our vision. We often talk about these boundaries that keep things out as personal boundaries. Personal boundaries are important because they set the basic guidelines of how you want to be treated. Setting boundaries can ensure that relationships can be mutually respectful, appropriate, and caring. In other words, personal boundaries help you limit your exposure to the things you don't want in your space. Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a good thing to me. Do you believe personal boundaries are important? Scale of 1 to 10, how important are personal boundaries in our lives? In your life? Let me share two reasons why personal boundaries are so important. The first one is boundaries limit your exposure to behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that don't align with what you believe, who you are, and or who you want to be. Second, boundaries allow you to create space in an environment that allows you to be successful and remain focused. So if they're so important and play such a big role in our lives and our success, why do so many of us struggle with setting boundaries and enforcing them? You know, if you don't know where the boundary is, how do you expect others not to cross it? How can you expect someone to honor your boundary if they don't know what they are or where they are? Right. Boundaries create good barriers that lead to great growth and stronger relationships. Wrong boundaries or unclear boundaries lead to confusion, fear and failed futures. No matter what people say, everyone appreciates clarity of expectations and boundaries. Boundaries make us better. Say that with me. Boundaries make us better. They build better relationships, lead to better results, and create better teams. So real quickly, how do you set and enforce your boundaries? Easier said than done. One, set your boundaries based on your core values. That protects your character. Two, know your purpose, personal priorities and your business priorities. That protects your career. Number three, be jealous of your time in critical relationships. This protects your family. And four, most important, communicate them in love by setting clear expectations. You know, when someone violates a boundary, it's better to let them know than ignore and avoid. Most people don't mean to cross your boundaries. They just don't know where they are. So remember, boundaries make us better. Well, my friends, that's it for this week's Timeout for Leadership. If you found value in these videos, I encourage you to share them with your friends because we can all use a good time out now and again. So until next time, I'm Rick Torresen and I'm believing your best is yet to come. For more resources or to become part of a growing community of transformational leaders, be sure to visit ricktorrison.com.