#5 The Boundary Advantage: Work Smarter, Not Harder
“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.”
– Steve Jobs
💛 LIFE NOTE
Just like that, we've already powered through 40% of 2025! ⚡️
Whatever goals or ambitions we’ve set for ourselves this year, it’s a great time to check in!
Check in with our current situation and progress.
Check in with our plan to make the most of the remaining 60%.
Last weekend, I took some time to reflect on my 2025 goals. 🪞
Thanks to my habits and time trackers, I identified a few interesting insights. 📊
First, after 12 months of time tracking with Toggl, I end up exactly with the exact same observation as experts over the past decades.
↳ I accumulate an average of 3-4 hours of deep work per day.
Preferably between 9 am-1 pm when my energy levels are at their peak. 🧠
Second, I continue to underestimate how long a task will take me. Maybe that’s because I’m optimistic and a perfectionist, but also because it’s human nature.
↳ Things always take longer than I anticipated - especially when it’s a first time! ⌛️
Last - but not least, it’s ridiculously easy for me to be derailed from my goals! Life and old habits get in the way.
↳ Systems are crucial to make progress towards my goals. ⚙️
Here are 3 ways I’m leveraging these insights to strengthen my system and keep progressing on my 2025 goals:
More realistic daily planning 🌅
Capping number of projects/clients at a given time 🚧
Daily reminders of my goals and weekly adjustment of non-negotiable tasks 🎯
To be honest, I’m not where I wish I was with my goals.
But I choose to focus on the positive and the progress I’ve made.
What's done is done. The past few months are behind us.
What matters now is how we’ll invest for the remaining 60% of 2025.
As ambitious professionals, it's easy to fall into the trap of saying "yes" too often, underestimating our own capacity, and spending extra hours working for others without being intentional about our own goals.
In today's Career Note, I want to share why setting boundaries - both professionally and personally, is essential to our success.
Only by protecting our time, we can make a real impact on our careers and achieve what truly matters to us.
Let’s do this ⚡️
PS: I hope this post inspires you ✨ to start tracking your time and habits to generate your own insights on how you can make a better use of your time ⏳
👩🏻💻 CAREER NOTE
The Cost of "Always On": Why High Achievers Must Set Boundaries
You see yourself promoted, rewarded and successful - but FIRST…
You just have to accomplish that one more thing. 😵💫
That one more unrealistic deadline. That one more sleepless night.
Learn that one more skill. Push that one more year.
Skip that one more gym session. Miss that one more ski trip with your friends…
We tell ourselves that … soon enough - it’s all gonna be worth it. 💰
They will understand. That’s just how it’s supposed to be.
Or is it!??! Who said so?
What ‘success’ are you running after? Is it your own?
Or is it a success defined by society, your parents or your peers.
I get it. We’re high achievers. 🏆
We believe that all these extra hours, extra dedication and personal sacrifices will pay off - faster and better.
We believe that this is just temporary.
For some of us, these hypothesis will turn out to be true. But for the majority these unhealthy habits lead us straight into burnout.
Overall, the data is pretty clear: unbounded work is unsustainable work. 🫠
Gallup reports found that 76% of employees experience burnout at least sometimes, with high performers being particularly vulnerable.
High achievers often experience burnout during the first ten years of their career, typically between ages 20 and 30, due to setting unrealistic standards and overworking.
A lack of boundaries is a "recipe for burnout" and can lead to issues like chronic exhaustion, decreased motivation, cynicism, and physical symptoms such as headaches or digestive problems.
Stress Curve
To be completely honest, I’m not 100% sure I’ve ever been burnout myself.
But I've definitely been stretched or strained.
The idea is to avoid operating on either edge of the stress curve!
How do we protect our performance? Our well-being?
While building our career 🫤
💚 Imagine an ideal week:
Engaging in meaningful and effective meeting
Making tangible and visible progress on projects
Finishing each day at a reasonable hour
Cooking diner, meeting friends on a regular basis
Sleeping more than 7 hours every night
Prioritizing self-care (gym, cooking, or holidays)
Feeling aligned and confident
This can become your reality friend! 🤩
Research indicates that employees who maintain firm boundaries report 30% higher productivity and 23% greater job satisfaction than those who do not.
Ready to give it a go? 🙋🏻♀️
10 easy ways I set boundaries 🙅🏻♀️
Protect your performance. Protect your well-being.
Socialize before dealing with emails ☕️
I start my day intentionally. Nourishing relationships with my network. Injecting Dopamine, Oxytocin before draining my energy with emails and Slack messages.Calendar blocks for focus work ⏳
2-mins planning goes a long way. I identify my top 3 priorities of the day. Block time for uninterrupted focus work. I aim for 2-4 hours each day to drive progress.Lunch break away from the desk 🍝
Whether I’ve got 15 or 60 minutes, I take the opportunity to chill, socialize, stretch my legs, or maybe learn something new. It’s great to reset, recalibrate, and perform.No meeting without an agenda - regardless of who sent the invitation! 📋
Time is our currency. Successful pros only attend meetings where their presence, contribution and purpose are crystal clear. It allows us to show up ready.Say “No, but …“ 🤔
It’s rarely about me. It’s about remediating a situation. I choose to be supportive & mindful. I offer alternatives like new date/time, resources or other contacts.No notification after hours - share your mobile if needed 📵
At the gym, out with friends, or at home - notifications ON = always ON. It’s disruptive and unhealthy. I tell key players to call me directly - if urgent!Manage expectations from the beginning 🤝
Clarifying ahead prevents conflict, uncomfortable situations. I agree on scope and deliverables format. I challenge timeline to align on best, average and min scenario.Never lose days off in your year 🏝️
There’s always more to do. I prioritize and proactively schedule my vacation to sustain peak performance throughout the year - and enjoy life along the way.No work weekends - Unless I choose 🚧
Elite athletes recharge. I leverage weekends to level up in the other areas of my life. Especially physical health, relationships, and personal growth.Consistent log-off time at reasonable hour 🕔
This signals work-life balance and respect for my time. It also forces me to be more efficient, closing the day - or the week, strong.
Setting boundaries isn't about working less.
It's about working smarter. 🧠
Sustaining peak performance without sacrificing yourself.
It's about designing a career that fuels you, not drains you. 🔋
Don't trust me. Trust the data, or the experts. 👩🏻🔬
Message me to share your experience 😃
What boundaries are you struggling with? or excited to set up for yourself?
Until next time: You've got this! 💪
I’ve got you.
Your friendly, Tech Career Energizer ⚡️
PS: I'm not really a fast reader, but I love reading non fiction books. Especially on topics around productivity, career growth, performance, leadership, collaboration .. and a few other things.
One book that has recently become a MUST READ for ambitious pro is The Five Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom 📘
Sahil was about to lose his family and health in his pursuit of always more, more, more. Until a friend asked him a question!
It's about practical tools to build a purposeful life, while becoming wealthier, and healthier. 🌈
If you're curious about building a joyful and rewarding career, I'm sure you'll love it too. 🪴
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