How to Foster Sustainability: Rhythms and Boundaries
If you remember from the blog on how to avoid burnout, you know that:
Sustainability means the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
We all want to create businesses that we can maintain successfully over a long period of time. We want to do the work we love in a way that enhances our lives and fuels us, rather than depletes us. We know we need healthy rhythms and clear boundaries to avoid burnout and foster sustainability, but how do we create those and what would that really look like? Here at The Whiteboard Room, we work with clients every day to do that. It looks different for everyone, because everyone has a different job and a unique set of life circumstances. Also, everyone functions differently. Your limits aren’t the same as the person to your left or right. Not to mention, the person to your left or right might not want to live the same life you do. When we establish healthy rhythms and set clear boundaries, we are cultivating the life that we truly want.
First, let’s talk about why we use the word rhythms and The Whiteboard Room and not balance. The word balance implies a perfection that is not always achievable. Life is too nuanced. It is not always “perfectly equal.” Rhythms allow for the eb and flow of life, but still make space for rest. It might not always be equal on the scales in a single moment, but over time things level out. Things might be “busy” with work in a season, but the seasons change and the tides go out. It is our job as leaders to pay attention to what good rhythms look like in our industries and worlds, and to plan accordingly. There is no way for a tax accountant to get around March and April being busy months, but they can plan for an intentional slower holiday season before and summer after the busy season.
What does that look like in your industry? Do your busy seasons match school year calendars? Is the summer your fullest season with a lighter winter? When does your target audience need what you offer the most? There are natural rhythms that will work for you, you just have to take the time to find them.
And once you find your rhythms, you can create boundaries that complement those. They need to be clear, written down, and communicated.
Communication
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to always be available. You need time where you don’t answer your phone or e-mails. You don’t even have to text for work if you do not want to. If you tell your clients or team members all the times they can reach you and the methods through which you can be reached best, it will make you more available to them, not less. These boundaries are freeing and effective because it’s more about what you can do than what you cannot. A few basic things to ask when it comes to setting communication boundaries are:
What are the days and hours you are available?
What are the methods through which you can be reached?
What is your most preferred method of communication?
Outsourcing
Another good question to ask yourself is, are there things I am doing that I could outsource or delegate? Are there things in life that cause tension or are harder to find space for in your natural rhythms? Maybe you know you want to get away every fall, but planning a trip is challenging for you. Most travel agent services are free. If you are struggling to remain in consistent communication with those you are leading, maybe you could hire a part-time assistant. If you need to track your work hours, maybe you could pay for a time-tacking service or even use a free one like Toggle. Some things might be free, and something might take some monetary investment, but creating something sustainable is worth it.
Priorities and Non-negotiables
You should also know your priorities and non-negotiables. Most people are looking to build something that gives them more freedom or flexibility or more time with their families, but often they go after a goal at the expense of their family or their health and say that those things will come later. Unfortunately, later tends to mean never. If you want to spend more time with your kids or your spouse or your friends and family, then make them a priority now. Not when you succeed in your goal, but now. When you keep your priorities and non-negotiables clear from the beginning, you won’t have to piece those things back together when you reach the goal.
The skill of prioritizing must be developed in all of us to create something sustainable. Not everything is urgent, and not everything needs an immediate response. The quickest way to burn out is to set a pace you cannot sustain, and no one can sustain a pace of go, go, go all the time. When it comes to work and prioritizing tasks, a great place to start is to use the urgent vs. important matrix.
When you are deciding how to prioritize a task, you can use this tool to know how to move forward. It is freeing to know there are things you can plan to do later or even eliminate completely based on what you are trying to achieve and accomplish.
We hope this helps as you move toward creating something sustainable and thriving in your calling. As always, we would love the honor of standing in your corner! If you have questions about how The Whiteboard Room could help you set healthy rhythms and boundaries, please contact us here!