If your boundaries leak in one place, they leak everywhere

Watched a client this week and noticed a pattern that's worth naming.

He's letting a retainer client steamroll his scope. He's also dealing with two ongoing disputes he can't seem to close out. He's also not sleeping enough, eating like garbage, and skipping his morning routine.

That looks like four different problems. It's not. It's the same problem wearing four costumes.

If your boundaries leak in one place, they leak everywhere. The version of you that lets a client walk all over your scope is the same version that lets the contractor cut corners, lets the landlord short the deposit, lets yourself skip the workout you said mattered.

The good news:

This works in reverse, too. Hold the line in one place and it gets easier to hold everywhere. Boundaries are a muscle, not a rule.

Pick one place you're going to hold the line this week. Just one. Could be a client conversation. Could be a "no" you've been avoiding. Could be "I'm shutting down at 7pm whether or not the work is done."

What's yours? Drop your one line in the comments.

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