Organizing Your Life Through Boundaries

I wonder if you’ve ever thought about using boundaries to help with organizing your life. When I close my eyes and think about a boundary, I picture something physical — like a wall. However, most of my life I have used invisible boundaries to create limits. I used to tell my children they could run around and play on the beach up to the lifeguard chair. That was their invisible fence or boundary. I’ve used countless other invisible boundaries to set limits on some of the things that I do, and I bet you have also. When you organize your life using boundaries you will notice the ways in which the boundaries work for you.

Use Physical Boundaries to Organize Your Space

People tend to collect things. If we like books, we tend to have lots of them. If clothes or shoes are our thing, we may outgrow our closets. When this happens, our natural inclination is to look for other places to keep our collections.

We invest in more bookshelves or pile books on the floor near the places we like to sit and read. Maybe we add a garment rack for our clothes or clear boxes in which to place our shoes so we can stack them.

Before we know it, the physical boundary of our home is overwhelmed.

Instead, use the physical boundary the space provides and let it inform you when it’s time to declutter.

When the bookshelf is full and can’t hold another book, declutter the shelves to make room for the new books.

If the closet is so full you can’t sneak another hanger in, it’s time to let go of clothes you no longer wear.

The kitchen cupboards and drawers as well as the pantry are two other places that often fill up. If this happens to you, look for duplicates (or triplicates) keep the ones you use and rehome the remainder. Organizing your life through physical boundaries helps you keep clutter to a minimum.

Use Time Boundaries to Structure Your Day for Efficiency

Think about the hours in the day as invisible boundaries. Next make a list of the things that you do during the day.

Some things may be non-negotiable. For example: the hours you must spend at the office, time spent taking and picking up your children from school, or a volunteer commitment.

Other things may be optional.

Create a schedule for yourself that lets you make the best use of your available time.

This may change from day to day, week to week, or month to month. The important thing is to pay attention and make those changes to your time boundaries. Organizing your life through time boundaries helps you be more flexible.

Use Boundaries to Prioritize Your Well-Being

You are probably familiar with the example “put your oxygen mask on before helping the person next to you”. It’s very important to set boundaries for your well-being and so you care for yourself.

When someone asks you to do something and you’re not sure about it or you know you don’t want to do it, but you also don’t want to offend the person protect your personal boundaries and have a mantra to use.

You can say “I need to go home and check our family calendar” or “I need to see if that will work with my other obligations” or “No”.

Believe it or not “No” or “Thank you for asking me, but my answer is No” are complete answers. You do not need to explain yourself to the person.

Each one of us has the right to stick to our personal boundaries and prioritize ourselves without feeling guilty.

Afterall, the best person to look out for you is you.

Use Digital Boundaries to Reduce Overload and Distraction

Do you lose track of time checking social media feeds or doing “research”?

My guess is that you have. I know I have.

Current research supports the theory that too much screen time is not good for anyone, young and old alike.

You can control your screen time.

It’s possible to set your phone aside (or lock it away) when you’re at work.

Yes. I know your work probably involves a screen some of the time. However, when you are looking at a screen for work there is a purpose associated with it.

The same is true if you are purposefully researching a product or service online or if you are shopping for things like groceries or another useful delivery.

Other uses for digital boundaries

Use digital boundaries to limit the length of time you keep documents in your downloads folder.

What about boundaries for emails?

Consider setting boundaries for the number of unread emails you hold onto. When you approach the limit, make an appointment with yourself to read and delete the ones that are no longer relevant.

Organizing your life through digital boundaries helps to reduce your screen time and to declutter your digital inboxes.

Maintaining Boundaries

All this talk about boundaries, setting them, and how useful they are is simply that — talk.

There are no physical fences or barriers involved. You are the only person who will know if you aren’t sticking to the boundaries you created.

The question becomes how will you adhere to your boundaries?

Are there natural consequences? Pay attention to the way things work and how you feel. Then, adjust your boundaries if that is what makes sense.

Since you are the one creating your boundaries, you can also be flexible with them as the need arises.

Remember that organizing your life through these different types of boundaries will help you achieve the goals and intentions you set for yourself.

Reach out to me if you’d like to talk about specific strategies for you. Send me an email to set up a free 30-minute phone consultation. You can reach me at: dnqsolutions@gmail.com

Diane N. Quintana is the owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC. She is an ADHD Organizing Specialist, a Hoarding Specialist, and a Chronic Disorganization Specialist. Diane is also an ICD Master Trainer, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization, Certified Professional Organizer and co-owner of Release Repurpose Reorganize LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing.