Let’s talk about boundaries, and not the ones plastered on motivational memes. Everyone says it’s about learning to say no. But really? That’s just the first baby step. The real boundary magic happens when you design your work life so you don’t have to keep saying no all the time.

I’ve been there. When you’re really good at what you do and you do it fast, people start to think you’ve got a cape hidden somewhere. Suddenly, the same clients who once said, “No rush,” are now asking, “Can you just squeeze this in before the weekend?”

That’s exactly what I unpacked in When Being Good at Your Job Becomes the Problem. The better you are, the blurrier the line gets between being helpful and being overworked. You don’t even notice it happening at first because you’re just doing your best. But over time, your quick turnarounds and high standards become the baseline.

It’s not that clients are terrible people. They’ve just grown used to the version of you who always delivers. The key is remembering that you don’t owe the world 24/7 access to your best self. Boundaries aren’t about being rigid. They’re about being sustainable.

That’s when they stop being optional and start being oxygen.

Here’s where most people stop: the obvious stuff.

Setting office hours. Logging off on weekends. Turning off notifications.

Important? Absolutely. But those are the surface boundaries.

Let’s talk about the deeper, sneakier ones that we often miss.

The Energy Boundary:

You know that one client or project that leaves you feeling like you’ve run a marathon through quicksand? That’s not coincidence. That’s your body waving a bright red flag. Start paying attention to what drains you versus what fills you up. If you finish a day feeling like a wrung-out sponge, your schedule’s off-balance. Protect your best hours for the work that energizes you, not the stuff that eats your spark alive.

The Scope Boundary:

The words “Can you just…?” should set off gentle alarm bells. Because every “just” adds up: another favor, another unpaid hour, another quiet resentment. Scope creep rarely happens all at once. It sneaks in like a polite houseguest and ends up sleeping on your couch. Spell out what’s included in your services, and when something falls outside that, treat it as a new mini-project. Clarity protects both sides and your sanity.

The Technology Boundary:

Work messages don’t belong in your personal texts, and “always on” isn’t a personality trait. If you’re checking Slack in bed or replying to emails while waiting for your coffee to brew, it’s time to reclaim your mental real estate. Use tools that keep business communications in their lane, and set actual office hours for notifications. You deserve a life that isn’t punctuated by dings.

The Emotional Boundary:

This one’s sneaky. It’s not about being cold or detached. It’s about remembering that your client’s stress isn’t yours to carry. You can be supportive without absorbing their panic. If you find yourself lying awake thinking about their project, you’ve crossed into emotional overtime and no one’s paying you for that. Empathy is a strength, but it needs limits.

The Health Boundary:

We’re not meant to run on caffeine and adrenaline (even the decaf kind). The “I’ll rest later” mindset is a straight road to burnout. Take the walk. Book the appointment. Eat something that didn’t come in a wrapper. Your body is your business partner, and if you ignore it long enough, it will start filing complaints.

The Financial Boundary:

You’ve spent years honing your craft, so don’t treat your pricing like a negotiation. When you discount your work to make someone else more comfortable, you’re teaching them your time is flexible. It’s not. Charge fairly, invoice on time, and require deposits. Boundaries and respect often start with the same thing: a paid invoice.

The Creative Boundary:

Not every creative spark has to serve your audience. Sometimes you need to make something just for the joy of it. Paint, write, bake, collage, or dance in your kitchen. Creativity isn’t a faucet you turn on for clients. It’s a well that runs deeper when you feed it. Protect it like the renewable energy source it is.

The Identity Boundary:

You are not your business. You are a full human being who occasionally takes naps, has opinions, and forgets where she left her phone. Your worth doesn’t vanish when you step away from your desk. Let your business serve your life, not the other way around.

Here’s your little self-check:

Which type of boundary are you breaking most often right now; time, energy, or emotional?

(And don’t worry, this isn’t a pop quiz. Just be honest with yourself.)

Pick one spot where your boundaries feel fuzzy and tighten it up this week, even just a little. Maybe it’s setting clearer email hours. Maybe it’s not answering DMs after dinner. Maybe it’s finally removing that one client’s number from your phone.

Because boundaries aren’t walls. They’re the structure that lets you build a business and a life you actually want to live inside of.

Holding boundaries and sipping decaf☕️,

If this Shift Notes chat hit home, you’ll probably love the blog post that inspired it; When Being Good at Your Job Becomes the Problem. It’s a real-world look at how being excellent can backfire when boundaries go missing.

If holding your boundaries feels like an uphill battle with that voice in your head, you know, the one that tells you to just push through or say yes anyway, you’ll love the Banish Your Inner Critic workshop replay.

It’s a self-paced replay designed to help you quiet that inner micromanager and finally start trusting your own limits.

👉 Grab the Replay Here.

If this edition hit home, forward it to a fellow business owner who could use a reminder that boundaries aren’t bad... they’re brilliant. Every share helps grow this community and keeps these conversations real.

You’re getting Shift Notes because somewhere along the way you signed up to join my community, attended one of my events, or purchased one of my digital products. However you got here, I’m really glad you did. Around here, we talk about building businesses that actually fit your life, not the other way around.