1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: tip is to make boundaries positive. There are all sorts 4 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: of things we would prefer not to do for reasons 5 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: of work life balance, But rather than make these sound 6 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: negative and focused on what we won't do, we can 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: point out what we still can do, because it's usually 8 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: still a lot. Today's tip, like some others this week, 9 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: comes from Laura May Martin's new book Uptime. Martin is 10 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: Google's productivity guru, and she coaches executives there on how 11 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: to be more efficient. In her book, she notes that 12 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: the bridge between boundaries and approachability is the right communication. 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: The best way to communicate boundaries is to frame from 14 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: the positive. You highlight what you will do, not what 15 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: you won't. So, for example, I don't take meetings on 16 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: Fridays becomes I take meetings Monday to Thursday. I don't 17 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: instant message outside my work hours becomes I'm available by 18 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: messaging between seven am and five pm. I'm not taking 19 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: any new clients right now becomes something like I'm taking 20 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: new clients starting in July and I don't have time 21 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: during the week to meet about this topic becomes I 22 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: have office hours every Friday where I can meet on 23 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: this topic. All of these statements get at the exact 24 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: same thing, but they sound so much more positive. Wow, 25 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: this person is available by messaging for ten hours every day. 26 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: That's a lot, so why even call attention to the 27 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: fact that they won't be signed on to the messaging 28 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: system at five point thirty pm. As for the boundary 29 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: that you are not taking new clients immediately but probably 30 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: will in the future, it just sounds like you are 31 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: creating options. How wonderful. The person who wants to work 32 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: with you can decide to wait until you are accepting 33 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: new clients again, or they cannot wait, but that makes 34 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: them feel like they have a choice. You remain approachable. 35 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: I really like this idea. I should note here that 36 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: I personally don't maintain a whole lot of strict work 37 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: in life boundaries in my schedule. I work for myself 38 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: with a lot of flexibility. One result of that is 39 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,119 Speaker 1: that I inevitably wind up doing personal stuff during work hours. 40 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: That means that if the work still needs to get done, 41 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: I do work things what many people consider personal hours, 42 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: and that is fine. With me, but for those with 43 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: more regimented schedules, boundaries can make life feel a lot 44 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: more sustainable. People might feel awkward about setting and sticking 45 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: to boundaries, but when they are framed in a positive light, 46 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: it all feels so much more congenial, and that makes 47 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,119 Speaker 1: people more likely to honor them because these boundaries seem reasonable. 48 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: Maybe they won't honor them all the time, but a 49 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: lot of the time, and that can make all the 50 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: difference in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 51 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks 52 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: for listening to Before Bread. If you've got questions, ideas, 53 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 54 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 55 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,559 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 56 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.