Establishing Time Boundaries for More Balance

Effective time management has always been a hot topic for creative entrepreneurs. However, it’s especially critical now as we transition back into “business as usual” and find more demands on our time, energy, and attention. With busy schedules and never-ending to-do lists, it’s not a matter of working harder or doing more. Instead, it’s about setting clear boundaries to protect your wellbeing and ensure you can always put your best foot forward for clients, colleagues, loved ones, and—most importantly—yourself.

“Work-life balance can be incredibly difficult for the entrepreneur running their company,” affirms Jaclyn Watson of Jaclyn Watson Events. “Some signs you need to re-prioritize are working 12-15 hour days, or not allowing yourself breathing room for fun things, or things that help create less stress like yoga or meditation. Lack of sleep, lack of eating, and or exhaustion all the time are all tell-tale signs that your work-life balance is out of whack.”

But when you’re on the brink of burnout, it’s hard to know where to start. So if your work habits could use an adjustment, here are a few ways to triage your schedule and reclaim your time.

Set clear office hours.

It’s easy to blur the line between work and pleasure, especially when you genuinely enjoy the work you do. The issue can get even stickier if you work from home or are always on the go, with no strict schedule in the “office.” 

When every day looks different, it’s even more important to define set office hours to address client communications, operational tasks, and other admin work. Not only does this ensure you get through your to-do list, but it also helps to set boundaries with others.

The Bridal Finery’s Bri Marbais explains, reminding business owners that “there are instances when clients, vendors, and fellow creatives will take advantage of your time if boundaries are not set. Communicating your office hours and how you will be communicating during those hours whether it be by phone or email will not only be a huge help for you but those needing to get in touch with you.”

As for when to bring this up, Watson recommends making this one of the first things you discuss, encouraging you to “[l]et clients know your expectations when they hire you and ask what theirs are. Being on the same page from the start creates a seamless planning process and helps keep those boundaries.”

Wedding photographer Jessica K. Feiden shares her boundary-setting strategy: “During their onboarding process, I share my office hours as well as include them within my email signature. I also mention that I only take scheduled calls and send them a link to my calendar (via Calendly) if they ever need to chat. I tell them they can expect to receive a reply from me within 24-48 hours and that if they message me at night or on the weekends that I will respond when I am back in the office.”

Without clear boundaries around your time, it’s easy to let work (or personal) responsibilities spill over and create a toxic environment that will lead to a dip in productivity and, ultimately, full-on burnout.

Go easy on your meeting schedule.

You know those days when you hardly have time to breathe between meetings? As “productive” as that may feel, it’s ineffective for getting anything done. Filling your head up with meeting items without a chance to download and decompress increases the chance things will fall through the cracks and leave you overwhelmed and exhausted. 

To combat this issue, Tonya Hoops of Hoopes Events encourages business owners to “schedule time following meetings to be able to recap and work on items you need to accomplish. If you are constantly scheduling back-to-back meetings, you will never get things from your meetings accomplished during work hours.”

Consider setting a limit on the number of meetings you take each day so you can still make time for your creative flow without sacrificing productivity.

Put everything on paper.

If setting boundaries on meetings doesn’t clear up the clutter in your mind, it’s time to adopt a habit of brain dumping on paper. It’s easy to get caught up in distractions when you have three new inquiries, a pile of dirty laundry, two client meetings, and a grocery list bouncing around your head. So let it out and reclaim that mental space and energy!

Marbais suggests: “It definitely helps to write everything down and prioritize your tasks. Taking a step back and really looking at what all needs to be done during the day will help with allocating your time. While sticking to a strict schedule is ideal, it's usually never going to be perfect on any given day. We encourage having one in place, whether it be daily or weekly, to establish structure.”

If you have a defined office space, consider investing in a whiteboard to jot down all of your tasks, ideas, and musings. A compact notebook or smartphone app can serve the same purpose for those constantly on the move.

Take advantage of tech.

In an age where software exists to solve even the most trivial problems, everyone should be maximizing technology to manage their time, increase productivity, and protect their energy. From automated tools to batch schedulers, leveling up your tech will help you level up your efficiency.

For instance, Feiden streamlines her calendar with a scheduling app, sharing that she “use[s] Calendly to schedule all calls and portrait sessions with both clients and vendors. It's easy to use and eliminates the back and forth of trying to find a time that works for both parties.”

“The Boomerang plug-in is also great for Gmail,” Feiden adds. “It allows you to pause your inbox so that new messages are being hidden and don't distract you from what you are currently working on. It also allows you to schedule emails to be sent at a later date, so it shows that you are sticking to your office hours (and clients don't see you emailing at 11 pm at night).”

Other tech favorites include customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Honeybook, social media schedulers like Later, and automation programs like Zapier.

Stick to your guns.

Of course, setting boundaries around your time is only one step of the solution. Unfortunately, staying true to them is where creatives often slip up, as it usually requires saying “no” to other opportunities. “The key to success is actually sticking to it,” Marbais confirms. “Setting it up is one thing, but actually utilizing it is quite another.”

Hoopes cautions that ignoring your boundaries can send the wrong message to clients: “If you start to answer during this time, that sends a signal to others that it is okay to reach out to you and expect a response. It is also important that you do respond during the hours you said you would.”

Unfortunately, this can be a difficult mindset to adopt — especially for business owners who often feel like they must be dialed in at all hours of the day. And, in some cases, you do have to work late and step on your own boundaries a bit.

Feiden’s best practice? “If I do end up working late one night to get things off my plate, I will schedule emails to be sent the next day during business hours so that clients take the boundaries I created seriously and respect them!”

Staying true to your boundaries doesn’t mean following a rigid schedule every day without room for flexibility. Instead, it’s about doing your best to remain within the lines but accepting that some days won’t go as planned, which leads us to the next (and most important) point.

Give yourself space (and grace).

You are more than just a business owner. You are a human being with human needs, so show yourself compassion and accept that you are not made to be a machine with 24/7 output. You deserve rest, pleasure, and peace — and nobody can give you those things but yourself. So put yourself first and give yourself the space and grace you need to show up as the best version of yourself for your business and your loved ones.

If you don’t, you’ll open the door to creative burnout, exhaustion, overwhelm, resentment, and all of the other negative emotions that come with doing too much without reprieve. 

“Set some time aside each day to do something creative,” suggests Laura Maddox of Magnolia Celebrates. “Give yourself a lunch break even if you're crazy busy and working from home.”

By prioritizing your well-being, you’ll be more productive, positive, and profitable simply because you kept yourself out of the bottomless pit of burnout. In addition, preserving your energy means you can continue showing up each day and giving your all to your business and clients.

Marbais adds: “You definitely don't want to overcommit yourself to after-workday activities and not allow yourself to have any downtime. While it's crucial to make time for loved ones, making the time for yourself is just as needed.”

In business, we often talk about bottom lines, profit margins, and the pursuit of the almighty dollar. But, in reality, time is your most valuable resource as an entrepreneur, parent, partner, friend, and human. You can always earn more money, but there’s no way to put more hours in your time bank — so protect your time and energy by reinforcing your boundaries, and the money will follow suit.