Recently I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Tim Ferriss show, and the topic was essentialism. It seems obvious that we should always carefully manage the inputs and outputs of our lives but is easy to sucked into the notion of “everything all the time.” This blog post is designed to get you thinking and ultimately educate you on how to maintain your power.

Establishing and maintaining boundaries

In talking to my mom about a situation where a coworker was overstepping an emotional boundary, I gave her advice in the form of the following rule, 10% empathy and 90% self-care in the workplace, always. I know what your thinking, 10% may seem low but as someone who has been in several different corporate cultures, navigating the interpersonal connections with coworkers can be more than challenging so the prioritization of self-care is key, specifically in managing personal beliefs, opinions and emotions related to someone else’s behaviour.

I strongly disagree with the cliche, “it’s business not personal,” because we are human first but while tapping into our humanity (the 10%) one must remember businesses are typically established for one purpose, generating revenue. In order to maintain focus, that should always be at the forefront of your mind when assessing your emotional investment in your work environment. Know your emotional limits, topics that trigger you and enforce them. I recently had to do just that, I had a coworker, who despite many denials insisted on roping me into discussions about racially and politically charged topics at work. I had to clearly state that I had no interest in discussing anything racial, religious or political at work in order to assert that is a boundary I am not willing to cross.

People will typically respect boundaries that are asserted and if they do not, there's your answer, someone to avoid whenever possible.

I address specific additional situational methods when dealing with coworkers, management etc in my previous blog post, “Per my last email: 5 ways to navigate the corporate environment.” Head over to that post for some humor and actionable tips.

The Art of Pushing Back

There are those who see, those who can see when taught and those who will never see. Read that again. This is one of my favorite concepts. When deciding on whether or not to go to that social event, networking mixer or even to listen to your friend gossip, ask yourself “is this serving me in a positive way?” If the answer is no, then it is likely you shouldn’t do it. Maintaining emotional and lifestyle boundaries are your personal responsibility and will not always be well received. Some will understand right away, some will understand when told and others won't ever get it and that's okay. No matter the outcome, you energy and well being must come first. Mastering the art of “No” is a common struggle, particularly in a business context.

How do you know when you’re “successful?”

There is power in essentialism always remember, few things actually matter. The ability to choose can only be forgotten not given or taken away. That being said, remember you always have the power edit option in your professional and personal life. For example, if family is what matters most to you, ensure you have dedicated (media free) time for quality time with family as often as you deem essential.

Professionally, everything has a price. For example, if you take the dream job with a heavy workload but have entrepreneurial aspirations it may not be the ideal choice based on the required time investment. Every Opportunity is an opportunity for an either a positive outcome or learning experience. The decision making process should always weigh the immediate and long term consequences on your life, good or bad. Establish various channels for joy in your life to maintain your peace. Success, simply put for me is maintaining the balance between what I must do and what I want to do.

As always, please share your own stories and thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe!