The ONE Thing Successful People Understand About Boundaries

Something was wrong.

Mum looked anxious. She gathered her four children, told us to be quiet, and the five of us hid – under our dinning room table.

What scared her so much?

She’d seen two Jehovah’s Witnesses coming down our street, knocking on doors. At first, I thought: “Silly mum – you’re paranoid.” Now I realise how wise her actions were.

Mum knew the ONE thing to remember when setting boundaries.

Setting boundaries is an act of self-respect

A boundary is a dividing line.

It marks the limits of an area. Within this context, it defines the limits of acceptable behaviour. What do you put up with in yourself, your relationships, interactions, and situations?

That’s your boundary.

Boundaries help us protect our values, needs, and wellbeing.

They’re essential for our health and happiness. They can be physical, emotional, psychological, or digital.

Grab your phone.

It may be nearby, or you could be reading this on it. Now ask yourself: who pays the bill to use your phone? Chances are you do.

So you get to say when and where you’ll turn it on and accept and check calls and text messages. You don’t have to be in constant contact with the rest of the world 24/7.

It’s your phone.

Likewise, who pays the rent or bills where you live?

I’m willing to guess: you do. So you get to say who enters your front door. You can choose whether to pay attention when someone knocks. And you get to set the rules within your house.

If your visitors don’t respect your rules, tell them it’s time for them to leave.