I often tell a story in my workshops about boundaries. Most people think of them as limits… ways to say no, prevent job scope creep, or protect ourselves from taking on too much and getting overwhelmed. And while those kinds of boundaries absolutely have their place, I like to encourage a different way of thinking about them.

What if boundaries weren’t just about what you don’t do, but about how you protect what matters most?

Boundaries That Protect What Matters

To me, boundaries are how we safeguard the few things in our week that truly matter. The ones that give us energy, meaning, and a sense of purpose. Those priorities might be personal (time for exercise, a midday school activity, or charitable volunteer commitment) or professional (a focus block for deep work, a creative project, or strategic planning time).

Burnout isn’t always caused by doing too much. More often, it’s caused by not doing enough of the right things. When work and life start to overlap without intention, the things that matter most get squeezed out. That’s when resentment starts to build. Over time, that resentment can drain us, leaving us cynical, unmotivated, and disconnected from our “why.”

Part of the problem lies in how we’re trying to integrate work and life today. Our urgency culture has created endless channels of communication like updates, requests, notifications… all competing for our attention. Without a system to stay grounded in what’s truly important, we end up living on autopilot, responding to everything urgent instead of what’s genuinely important.

Three Simple Shifts to Protect Your Non-Negotiables

1. Clarify. Regularly identify the few things that matter most each week. They may change (and that’s okay!) but keeping them front and center makes it more likely you’ll honor them.
2. Schedule them. Protect time in your calendar as if it’s a meeting with yourself (because really, it is). Let others see that time blocked, and lock in.
3. Stay flexible. Boundaries aren’t black and white. Sometimes saying yes to something that excites you while adding to your to-do list adds energy instead of depleting it.

Healthy boundaries aren’t just about restriction. They’re about intention. When you protect what matters most, you not only prevent burnout, but you make more space for joy, purpose, and fulfillment in the work you do.