Welcome to Episode 33! Today we’re talking about boundaries! Boundary work is not only some of the most challenging, but equally rewarding. Especially when it comes to relationships.
Today’s topic is focused solely on your relationship with yourself. Some of the most challenging and equally rewarding work comes when we can sort out boundaries here.
I want to start by simplifying and breaking this down into two parts.
One: Internal Boundaries and Two: External Boundaries.
Internal Boundaries are how you treat yourself.
External Boundaries are how others treat you.
Yes, you have influence over both.
These are big topics so today I’m going to focus solely on Internal Boundaries, and how you treat yourself, especially when it comes to your role as a high achiever with a successful, growing business.
The common areas I tend to strategize around include keeping promises you make to yourself, being consistent, and practicing healthy decisions around your worries and weaknesses.
Let me mention those again. keeping promises you make to yourself, being consistent, and practicing healthy decisions around your worries and weaknesses.
Can you relate to any, or maybe all of these? Look, boundary work is tough. It doesn’t have to be intimidating though. And I’m here to simplify it for you. I didn’t say make it easy, because it’s not. But it can be simplified so you’re encouraged. Again, the rewards are so worth it.
First, promises. To keep a promise to yourself, you have to first make one. Do you still make promises to yourself? Or have you let yourself down one too many times that you stopped making promises to yourself? You certainly wouldn’t be alone.
Keeping promises with yourself is all about following through. Doing what you say you’ll do. I know, that if there’s a team member or your mentor that you made a promise to I know you would follow through without hesitation. Am I right? You keep your word.
But do you keep it with yourself with the loyalty and dependability you do for others?
Start small here. Make one promise to yourself today and keep it. Maybe it’s one task on your schedule for today that you would easily put off. This is an example of not following through for yourself. I trust if it made your calendar it’s important.
This is about how you show up for yourself. If your internal boundaries need work, we don’t necessarily see examples like this as how we treat ourselves. It completely is.
And all of a sudden your eyes may be opened to all the many seemingly insignificant ways in which you could be showing up for yourself.
What about being consistent? How many times have you said to yourself “I’ll be more consistent and get back to the activities I did when I first started my business?” And you did, but you didn’t keep with it. I have dedicated episode 25 to this very topic. Don’t get down on yourself. It’s ok. Instead, check out Episode-25 Do You Need to Get Back to Basics in Your Direct Sales Business?
Finally, do you have a healthy distance between you and your worries? What about your perceived weaknesses? Or do your worries take over your thoughts and fuel your days? I picked these areas of focus because they are incredibly common. You are not alone.
Mostly, awareness is a powerful gift here. Acknowledging all of this is about your relationship with yourself, how you show up for yourself, and your self-respect, well now we see the opportunity!
And the importance of deciding to take this on. The rewards are too great. The mental freedom alone, of no longer having the conversations with yourself, talking yourself into taking time to fulfill your own promises to yourself.
The mental freedom of not justifying or rationalizing why you make the choices you do throughout the day, or put something off. We subtly, and with habit, do this to ourselves. We all do.
But seeing it for what it is and the rewards that come with truing up your internal boundaries makes it all worth it and so very rewarding.
So where will you start? Pick one. Making and keeping a promise to yourself? Being consistent with your business activities on your calendar for the week? Month? Quarter? So many of us are great at planning and scheduling and when it comes down to it, the follow-through isn’t always there. Here’s your invitation.
And yes, this has everything to do with follow-through and self-respect.
Or will you create more distance, more space between you and your worries? I’m not saying don’t be worried. That’s not real life. We’re human. But can you distance yourself from your worries more so that you’re internal boundaries honor your self-respect? Yes, you can!
I can’t wait to connect!
The best is yet to come! Always.
