As a woman, it’s easy to find yourself living life more for other people rather than for yourself. Employers, family members, and friends demand your time or energy, and the real “you” gets lost in the shuffle. Time goes by swiftly and suddenly you’re wondering why you haven’t accomplished everything you wanted to in your ideal time frame. That’s why setting boundaries are important in order to achieve balance so you can enjoy your life to the fullest.
I built a small business helping people build blogs and taught myself how to set up WordPress sites starting in 2008. I was 55 at the time, and not a Spring chicken. The difference between building a business when you’re younger, as opposed to after 50, is that you come to the realization you must build time to enjoy other important aspects of your life rather than work constantly.
Sure, we want to have enough income to last us the rest of our lives.
For a Baby Boomer, like me, that’s a scary thought. However, I believe, many of us are finding that big houses, fancy cars, and other material possessions are not all that important. We can live very happily with fewer encumbrances. Give me a fabulous trip to Europe any day rather than a big old house that needs tons of maintenance. Even trips to Europe can be enjoyed on a small budget.
I received an email from a client this morning. It read, “If you’re game this weekend, can you put out a xxxxxx by Monday 7 am?” I looked at it and thought to myself, “No, I’m not game to put out your xxxxxx this weekend. The weekend is the time I either work on my own projects or simply go out and have fun.”
I’m 60 + and I actually have a life.
Setting boundaries is especially important for entrepreneurs who are often insane workaholics
We and I’m saying we because I’m guilty sometimes, get so passionate about what we’re doing, we don’t take the time to stop and smell the roses.
It’s important to stay busy and engaged as we grow older. Having a project or business keeps us on our toes. On the other hand, we don’t want to miss out on all the other joys of life; being with our family, traveling, having fun, or simply taking some “me time” to relax and reflect.
I’ve never been one to enjoy confrontation.
Some people live for it, but I avoid it like the Plague. Who needs their blood pressure to explode at our age? It comes down to setting boundaries for ourselves and for others who want to get in our hair and monopolize our time, including family members. Each of us has our own unique situation.
Life over 50 is not all about work. Playtime, nurturing our relationships and our talents are all precious.
Are you good at setting boundaries? Please leave a comment below.
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