GNT #136: Let's find your boundary problem areas

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If you’re like most purpose-driven leaders and business owners I work with, you’re juggling more than most. You care deeply about your work, your team, and the impact you're trying to make.

But all of that caring can become a double-edged sword if you don’t have clear boundaries in place.

Maybe you’re feeling:

• Tired but wired

• Constantly reactive

• Like your days are full, but your strategy time is empty

• Or if you stopped, everything would fall apart

These feelings are often a boundary problem in disguise.

This is a truth I wish I’d learned before my own hard burnout in 2020:

You don’t burn out because you’re weak. You burn out because your boundaries are.

It usually starts subtly. A late email reply. A quick yes to something that “won’t take long.” Then, suddenly, your calendar is bloated, your focus is scattered, and your vision is obscured by busywork.

Your boundaries aren’t just about time - they're the invisible structure that protects your decision-making, your strategy, and your long-term impact.

And yet…

• 72% of leaders regularly prioritize urgent tasks over important ones

• 68% check email or messages outside of working hours

• 1 in 2 say they’ve experienced signs of burnout in the last 12 months

This is not sustainable.

But it is fixable.

Today's newsletter is a 4-step Boundary Audit. It will help you quickly identify your “leak zones” and turn them into stronger, smarter guardrails.

Because when leaders like you are clear, focused, and your energy is protected, your vision helps move the whole ecosystem forward.

Let’s get you back in control.
 

Step 1: Spot Your Boundary Leak Zones

Most boundary issues aren’t obvious when you're in the thick of it. 

They show up as exhaustion, resentment, reactivity, or the quiet feeling that your work is leading you instead of the other way around.

Here are a few common places to look:

• Meetings: Too many. Too long. Heaven forbid back-to-back or no clear purpose.
• Communication: Constant notifications or checking email. No off-switch. Everything feels urgent.
• Over-functioning: Doing what others could (and should) be doing. Because it’s faster or easier to just do it yourself.
• Strategy vs. Execution: You’re stuck in the weeds. No time to zoom out.
• Personal time erosion: Work bleeds into evenings, weekends, and your workouts.
• External pressure: Clients, investors, or team members expecting constant access or immediate responses.

👉 Your action:

Grab a notebook or fresh digital sheet and write down 5–10 moments from the past two weeks where you felt:

• Drained
• Frustrated
• Reactive
• Pulled away from what matters most

Don't overthink it. Just look at your calendar, your inbox, or your stress triggers - and make note of where you’re being pulled.

These are your boundary leak zones.

We'll start to seal them in Step 2.

Step 2: Define What “Better” Looks Like

Now that you’ve identified where your boundaries are leaking - let’s reshape them.

This is where most people go vague. They say things like “I just need more time for myself” or “I should be in fewer meetings.”

But vague goals don’t fix blurry boundaries.

The key is to define what better actually looks like - in real life, on your calendar, in your inbox, and in your energy.

Here’s how:

Take each of your leak zones from Step 1, and for each one, ask:

• What specifically needs to change?

• What does a strong, healthy boundary look like here?

• What would protect your time, energy, or focus in this area?

Examples:

• Meeting overload → “I only attend meetings with a clear purpose and agenda. 30 minutes max, unless strategy is involved.”

• Constant messages → “No notifications after 6pm. I’ll check Email/Slack/Teams messages twice per day at set times.”

• No strategy time → “I block 2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday morning for deep work. No meetings, no email.”

• Over-functioning → “If a task takes more than 15 minutes and isn’t high-leverage, I delegate it.”

Your boundaries don’t have to be dramatic - but they do need to be specific and doable.

👉 Your Action:

Go back to your leak list. For each item, write down:

• What boundary needs to be in place?

• What would that look like in practice?

• What will help you actually keep it?

Aim for clarity you can calendar, communicate, or track. Because boundaries that aren’t visible don’t hold. We’ll talk about reinforcing them in Step 3.

Read more: 5 Boundaries Every Growth-Builder Needs

Step 3: Communicate + Reinforce Your Boundaries

You’ve spotted the leaks. You’ve defined your ideal boundaries. Now it’s time to make them real - and stick to them.

This is the part where clarity meets courage. Because setting boundaries isn’t just about you - it’s also about how you teach people to work with you.

Pick 1–2 boundaries from your list - the ones that will make the biggest difference right now.

Then take these three steps:

1. Say it out loud

Tell the people who need to know - like your team, assistant, clients, or collaborators.

Example: “To protect time for strategic work, I’m blocking my mornings. I’ll be available for meetings or questions after noon.” Or no explanation at all: "I’m no longer responding to emails after 6pm. Anything urgent, Text me.”

It doesn’t have to be dramatic, just clear and direct.

2. Back it up with structure

Use tools and systems to reinforce your boundaries:

• Block your calendar
• Set a Slack/Teams status
• Use filters, labels, or priority folders
• Empower your team to help protect your time

Make it easy for yourself and others to honor your new default.

3. Model it

You teach people how to treat your time by how you treat it yourself.

If you say you don’t check email at night, and then you respond at 9:42pm, people will follow your behavior, not your words.

Protecting your time is leadership in action.

👉 Your Action:

Choose 1–2 boundaries to go live with this week. Write out exactly how you’ll communicate them - and to whom.

Then, set up one tool, block, or structure that will help you hold the line. We’ll fine-tune and adjust in Step 4.

Step 4: Review + Adjust

Strong boundaries aren’t one-and-done. They’re built, tested, and refined - just like any good leadership system.

After a few days or a full week, reflect:

• Where did this boundary help?

• What felt awkward, uncomfortable, or met resistance?

• Did your time, focus, or energy noticeably improve?

• What needs to shift so it works even better?

You don’t need to get this perfect. But you do need to stay in the practice.

👉 Your Action:

Add a 10-minute Boundary Check-In to your calendar each week. Use it to review what’s working, what’s not, and what needs adjusting.

Even better - add it and these 3 Essential Meetings to Win the Week.

Takeaway

Protecting your time isn’t about being unavailable to others. It’s about being intentional.

Boundaries give your best work a chance to rise. They create space for clarity, energy, and creativity - the ingredients of meaningful work.

They help you lead longer, better, and with far more impact.

(And yes, these same principles apply to parenting, volunteering, and relationships too.)

What’s one boundary you can strengthen this week - for the sake of your vision, your energy, and the people depending on you?

Let’s lead smarter. It starts with ourselves.
 

I’m always rooting for you. See you next week.

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If you liked this article, you might also like:

GNT #089: The 4 Career Freedoms You Want
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GNT #116: Beware this Burden of Growth

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