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As an interior designer, your ambitious spirit drives you. But if you’re not using boundaries to create balance, that enterprising nature combined with your desire to prove your worth can lead to an unhealthy work-life balance.
It isn’t uncommon to spend so much time serving others’ needs (to illustrate your value) that you overlook your own. Setting healthy parameters is a foolproof way to create symmetry. Check out the following simple, proven strategies to help you get there.
It’s Okay to Say No
It is okay to say no. Say it again, out loud this time: “It is okay to say no!” In fact, it’s MORE than okay to say it—it’s essential to your success.
Starting an interior design business can pull you in many different directions. You’re seeking new ideal clients while managing multiple small projects and constantly networking to make meaningful connections. You go non-stop to keep your business growing and hesitate to say no.
But consider this: saying no allows you to be leaner with your daily, weekly, and monthly obligations and conversations. When you let go and realize you don’t have to be there for every person, every event, every time, you set healthy boundaries and create balance in your life.
You Can Create Space 
A wonderful thing happens when you create healthy boundaries. You realize you have made space in your life for downtime – an essential healthy boundary that allows you to live a simpler life with fewer distractions.
Whether your downtime is minutes or hours, you can shift your focus and allow yourself a little self-care in those moments. You can build them into your life in many ways to create balance:
- Daily: You decide you will stop eating at your desk. Instead, you’ll set aside an hour to walk in the park, read a book, or treat yourself to a nice lunch at your favorite restaurant.
- Weekly: You arrange your schedule so you can select at least a portion of a day each week to take care of your personal needs. That includes personal errands, spending time with friends or family, and reconnecting with the people you love.
- Monthly/Quarterly: You plan ahead and schedule an entire day off each month (or each quarter, at a minimum). You use this day to clear your mind, relax, renew, and recharge.
Just Let it Go
Should you waste your valuable time on repetitive tasks? No! The old adage, “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” has NO place in a balanced life! I get that your business is like a child that you feel compelled to monitor constantly. But when you think you must do “everything,” you tip the scales too heavily to the business side of life.
Trying to manage every mundane, repetitive task creates constant chaos and overwhelm. By identifying the time-consuming or repeatable tasks, you can shore up more time and create balance in your personal and business life. Here are a few examples:
- Use a personal shopper to reduce the time you spend running errands.
- Create standard operating procedures (SOP) for frequent tasks so you can delegate them to others without compromising quality service.
- Take advantage of contract and agreement templates to streamline a complex process while safeguarding your investment.
Automate, delegate, and reorganize. It will save time and help you recalibrate the scales to create balance.
Summary
Strategically using the word “no,” penciling in downtime, and creating more time through delegation, templates, and SOPs creates healthy boundaries to improve work-life balance.
Speaking of templates, one way to free up time in your business life is with my Interior Design Contract Templates. Not only will they save you time, but they will protect you and your business while expanding your ladder of services. Check out my comprehensive, fully customizable templates here.
FAQs
Boundaries help you create a sustainable work-life balance. Without them, it’s easy to overwork yourself trying to meet everyone’s needs, leading to burnout. Healthy boundaries allow you to focus on high-value tasks, prioritize self-care, and maintain your passion for design.
Saying no is essential to maintaining balance and protecting your time. Start by evaluating whether a request aligns with your goals and values. If it doesn’t, politely decline, knowing you’re prioritizing your success and well-being. Remember, saying no creates space for opportunities that matter.
Schedule downtime into your daily, weekly, and monthly routine:
- Daily: Take breaks, like stepping away from your desk for lunch.
- Weekly: Dedicate time for personal errands, family, or hobbies.
- Monthly/Quarterly: Plan a full day off to relax, recharge, and refocus.
Delegating is key to freeing up your time. Start by identifying repetitive or time-consuming tasks and assign them to a trusted team member or virtual assistant. Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure quality and consistency, even when tasks are handled by others.
Automation simplifies routine tasks, saving you time and energy. Use tools for invoicing, scheduling, and email management. For instance, contract templates can streamline client agreements while ensuring your business remains protected and professional.
These templates save time by eliminating the need to draft contracts from scratch. They are comprehensive, fully customizable, and ensure you’re legally protected. Using templates also allows you to focus on your design work while confidently expanding your service offerings. Learn more here.
Begin by strategically saying no to requests that don’t serve your goals, scheduling downtime for self-care, and delegating or automating repetitive tasks. Small changes like these add up, creating a healthier, more balanced approach to managing your business and personal life.
