Stop just setting boundaries - start defining your standards

Stop Just Setting Boundaries - Start Defining Your Standards - 

Monday Mindset Check-In

Setting boundaries is something I work on a lot with professional women, especially those juggling demanding careers and motherhood. We’re constantly pulled in a million directions, and it’s exhausting.

What I discovered: simply setting boundaries isn’t enough. If you really want to reclaim your time, energy, and confidence, you need to go a step further.

💡 Instead of just setting boundaries, define your standards.

Boundaries are rules you set for others.

Standards are the expectations you hold for yourself.

This shift isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you are, how you show up in the world.

I few standards I have defined for myself:

🚫 Boundary: No phones at the dinner table.

✅ Standard: I am present and fully engaged in moments that matter.

🚫 Boundary: I don’t have the capacity for drama or gossip.

✅ Standard: I choose meaningful and uplifting conversations and avoid toxic dynamics.

🚫 Boundary: I won’t engage in dishonest or manipulative conversations.

✅ Standard: I uphold honesty and integrity in all my interactions, and expect the same from those around me.

🚫 Boundary: Please don’t interrupt me when I’m working on deep-focus tasks.

✅ Standard: I honour my focus time because deep work leads to my best performance.

See the difference? When you set standards and embody them, people don’t just follow your rules, they understand who you are.

You don’t get what you want, you get who you are and what you tolerate.

💭 What’s one standard you live by? Drop it in the comments!