How Do You Hold Client/Job Boundaries?

How accessible are you?

Do you permit your clients/job to text you during your “off-time” when you’re out to dinner, watching the kid’s soccer game, or visiting friends?

Are you creating and maintaining boundaries so your home life can be your home life and your business be business?

Unfortunately smart phones don’t make this an easy task but texting is one thing I don’t permit from my clients. Or course there are exceptions. The only acceptable text from a client is one that tells me that they’re running late or they have gotten lost on their way.

Why don’t I communicate via text when I could conduct business at a faster more immediate rate?

When you text someone there is  an energetic undertone that implies the expectation of an immediate response or at least one within the next hour. They know that I received the text and now expect the answer to their question within an expected amount of time.

This  type of expectation can create dis-empowerment and attachment – they have now moved out of alignment and instead of seeking the answers from within – they have now “texted out” the question – with the expectation of receiving the answer from someone else. In that time frame they are not inclined to seek the information on their own because they are expecting you to give it to them.

As you know, when someone does not respond to your text in a “quick” manner  feelings of annoyance or even anger from the text-ee can ensue. You might even be faced with some of the statements like: “you never texted me back” or “where were you? I texted you like an hour ago?”  This is also due to the expectation of receiving the answer they wanted within a certain time frame.

Not allowing your clients to have access to your cell-phone number, in my opinion, allows them to increase their levels of self-awareness. They might send an email but there is no immediate response associated with an email – at least it’s not the same expectation time as a text implies. This time will allow them to come up with the answer they’re looking for on their own – thus creating greater levels of empowerment and non-attachment to the views & opinions of others.

For you, on the other hand, this will allow you to enjoy your “home life” will less disruption, interruption and stress. You won’t have to leave your kid’s soccer game, dance recital, school play etc… in order to text someone back or make a phone call to a client who is “expecting” an immediate answer. 😉

Here’s to Balance and Boundaries…and may you cell phone stop buzzing you during your down time!