Your assertive time boundaries support your values.
Assertive time boundaries help you create the space and find the time that you need to follow through on your promises and priorities.
There’s an art to this.
And it’s a skill that you can hone for yourself with practice.
Setting time boundaries is something that you get better at the more you do it and become comfortable with the process.
Aggressive vs. assertive time boundaries:
One helpful distinction, as you move forward with this, is being clear about the difference between assertive and aggressive boundary-setting.
I wrote an article about this not so long ago. It’s titled Time Management Tips – Use 3 Essential Guidelines to Set Assertive, Not Aggressive Boundaries.
Recognizing the difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness will be helpful to you in many areas of your life.
Aggressiveness is heavy-handed.
It carries the connotation of blame, coercion, or self-righteousness. You may imply, directly or indirectly, that you’re setting a boundary because someone else has done something wrong. The boundary may then be framed as a punishment. For example, “I can’t have you bothering me again when I’m in the middle of this, so now you will just have to wait until 4 PM.”
When you set your boundaries assertively, the frame and the feel are entirely different.
Assertiveness focuses on facts.
And assertiveness doesn’t look to create controversy. Instead, it invites cooperation and the free exchange of information. Power struggles are kept to a minimum.
Here are 3 essential distinctions between assertiveness and aggressiveness. When you set assertive time boundaries, you:
- Frame your need.
- State what you will do differently.
- Address situations, not personalities.
I invite you to read the article for a full description of these powerful and empowering differences. And the bottom line? Assertive time boundaries help you make time for the things that matter most to you while respecting and honoring your relationships.
Here’s more help with your time boundaries…
Setting and maintaining boundaries is a skill that makes everything else in your life possible. And it’s a difficult challenge for lots of smart, motivated people. People like you.
“Your Secret Power: How to Honor Your Time and Claim Your Space with Boundaries” gently steers you to a more profound understanding of where and how your boundary-setting efforts get short-circuited. Not only that, but it helps you establish the boundaries you need to unlock the door to your freedom. Boundary-setting is a skill that’s learnable, doable and definitely within your reach. And the strategies, tips and exercises in “Your Secret Power” help you discover how to:
- Set and maintain boundaries to enhance your productivity and, yes, make more money;
- Recharge your energy so you have the time and freedom to do what you value and what you’d like to do in your life; and
- Learn how to say no, which opens the door to your next big Yes.
Ready to start using boundaries to maximize your time and energy? Click the link below to learn more about this transformative time tool and the bonuses that come with it:
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