Ep 90 – How I Set Boundaries Between Work and Life
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Transcript
More Resources: Episode 89 | Free Class |
Today’s topic is a continuation of the last episode “How to Take Time Off in Your Business.” This topic is incredibly valuable. I want to share how I set boundaries between work and life! I do have a free class, that being in the middle of December could help you with. If you look back on your fall season and question… was it great? Was it awkward? Was it uncomfortable? All these things can be answered with a good posing foundation. This class teaches keys to effective family posing so you can say goodbye to awkward and stiff! Click the link and take advantage of that FREE resource! Now onto my photography business tips!
Decide What You Want Your Life to Look Like
Determining what your ideal life looks like. So, for me my biggest priority is my family. That comes first. I want to be the best version of myself for them and for myself. In order to do that I needed to set up boundaries that promoted a healthy version of me. What is a realistic amount of time to work on my business and be with my family? I figured out that’s about 15 hours a week. That still gives me time to take a nap everyday and fuel my priorities. It’s funny when people find out I take a nap literally everyday they are shocked. But I know I’m my best version of myself when I’m fully rested!
Set True Office Hours
Obviously owning a business means you have to be flexible, but setting true office hours is vital! I did this and try to stick to it. That means when office hours are up I’m closing my laptop and not talking about work at the dinner table or bouncing in and out of work life to family/home life. For me I do my best work early in the morning. My office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from about 8:00am to 12:00pm or 1:00pm. I usually wake up naturally around 6:30 so by the time I’m done working I’m ready for my nap! Why those days? It’s built around my kids. They are in school those three days and we homeschool the other two. When you’re setting work hours, think about what season of life you’re in and what works for your family to set your hours accordingly.
Pro tip: keep your computer in your designated workspace (office). That way you’re not tempted to cross the boundary!
Focus Mode
I don’t know if you’re an Apple user or Android user.. I’m an Apple user. I say this because Apple allows you to choose your focus mode. You can set it up by time of day or even location. You can set focus modes to work, sleep, do not disturb, etc. Depending on the time of day your phone will either notify you or not. You get to choose what notifications your receive when depending on the mode! During my work mode I get notifications from slack, trello, voxer, etc. I also set it up so when people text or call me they see I’m in a do not disturb mode. They can still choose to notify, but that doesn’t happen often. When office hours are up my phone gets put into personal mode. This is when all my work notifications are off!
Another amazing aspect of personal mode is my work pages get hidden! So when I look all my work apps are hidden!
No is Ok
This may not sit well with some of you, but you have to allow yourself to say no. I shared how I set boundaries on which days I’m dedicating to sit down and work, but I’ve also decided to only take calls on certain days. For instance, Thursdays I don’t take any zoom calls. Thursday I use to get my checklists done. I say no to Thursdays. No mastermind calls, podcast interviews, etc. It’s a non negotiable for me. For you maybe it’s setting limits on when you shoot! Sometimes that means saying no to potential bookings, but when you value your boundaries you are blessed in the long run. Most of the time people respect your boundaries because they see what you value! Ask yourself what it’s costing you to break those types of boundaries and decide if it’s worth it.
I am incredibly passionate about setting boundaries. Why start a business and be your own boss if you can’t make them? You’re trying to build a life you’re proud of and enjoy. So trust me, these photography business tips will help!
What We Discussed
Decide What You Want Your Life to Look Like (4:41)
Set True Office Hours (5:12)
Focus Mode (11:23)
No is Ok (17:12)
How do you manage sessions? We are thinking about doing a hybrid school this year like you and I would love to use that time to grow my business. However, most sessions need to be done in the evening or on the weekends bc of others’ school/work schedules. How can I grow my business without working every weekend and a lot during the week? I’ve thought about raising my prices but I live in a small town and worry I will price myself out of the market. Just curious if you have any tips.
Hi Whitney! Yes, for the sessions themselves you do need to work with other people’s schedules. However for the editing, culling, delivering, marketing, etc. you do not have to! For the sessions, I’m a big believer in mini sessions, which you would accomplish in one weekend (actually only a 2-3 hour chunk of time) about once a quarter or so. I would definitely not suggest doing any sessions in the evenings on weekdays as that time is for your family! If you’re looking to grow your business and get the best bang for your buck, mini sessions are the way to do it! Hope that helps!