How to Set Limits at Work
A Key to Balancing Personal Life and Career
Enjoying a successful career AND a satisfying life can sometimes seem like an impossible dream. Setting limits at work is the first step to achieving such balance.
The idea of balancing life and work revolves around first establishing limits. Without clearly defined boundaries on the job, you may find yourself overwhelmed or taken advantage of. In addition, you won’t have time to enjoy your personal life. Read on to learn what three steps will help you set limits at work and allow for a better work/life balance.
Learn to Respectfully Say “No”
Many people are predisposed to believing that saying no is not allowed at work. This simply is not true. There are many circumstances where you can, and should, say no. The key is to do so in a respectful, professional manner. You should feel free to say no at work when:
- You are feeling overwhelmed and unable to keep up with your existing work load
- You feel the work is irrelevant or unnecessary to your job
- You believe the work would be more appropriately handled by another individual
- You feel your work load is unfair or inappropriate
The best way to say "no" is to be straightforward and honest. Explain your situation and respectfully offer an alternative. If there is a constant situation that arises which causes you to have to say “no”, you might want to address the issue with a superior. Sit down and explain why you don’t feel the work is appropriate for you. Together you can re-evaluate your tasks and establish some appropriate and agreed upon limits.
Set Time Restrictions for Yourself
If you’re the type of person who gets absorbed in a project and works for hours and hours without realizing how much time has passed, you might want to look into getting a timer. Restricting the amount of time you are willing to dedicate to certain projects will help keep you within your established boundaries. Don’t let yourself get carried away finishing a report and end up staying at the office until midnight. This is incredibly damaging to your work/life balance. Set a firm time restriction and keep to it.
Delegate Effectively
You shouldn’t try to take on every task yourself. Many fall into the trap of thinking that it’s easier to simply do things themselves – that way, you know it gets done and it gets done right - or at least the way you thinkit should be done. But that kind of thinking can keep you bogged down for eternity. You simply must learn to allow others to help. By delegating tasks, you will gain more free time and the time you spend working will be more effectively used. Take the time now to teach others how to do the tasks that only you know. It’s worth the effort to train others. Appropriate delegation of tasks can have an enormous impact on your work load. For more, read How to Delegate Work.
If you liked this article, check out Professional Goal Setting and 3 Golden Rules to Multi-Tasking.
