We hear about setting healthy boundaries with others but what actions do we take to set boundaries for ourselves? I struggle with this quite a bit. I would find myself staying up late on a weeknight, sleeping in longer than I should and justify having a cocktail on a Tuesday because I was “networking.”

We get busy at work and then suddenly realize we haven’t exercised in three weeks and we’re on our fourth trip to Taco Bell in six days.

I have been generally pretty good about regular exercise but then I would miss an early Saturday morning workout because I went out late on Friday night because I “needed a break.” But was it worth the last whiskey to feel poorly the next morning and be less productive?

I got to a point where I was missing out on things of greater value and priority because I wasn’t setting boundaries for myself. There is nothing wrong with having a drink or staying up late from time to time but to what extent do we let patterns of “living freely” get in the way of being the best version of ourselves?

I found that if I set a bedtime for myself, set a wake up time, limit my drinking/socializing to one or two days on the weekend, refrain from sweets during the week, stick to lean meat and vegetables six days per week, and limit who I am spending my free time with, I felt better physically, emotionally, and physically. I was able to accomplish so much more during the week.

It doesn’t sound sexy, but basically go back to the boundaries set for you when you were younger. There was a reason for those boundaries – because they are healthy and (generally) keep you at your peak performance!

I believe this is also consistent with high performers like Jocko Willink and Tim Ferris. Discipline equals freedom and it’s important to reflect on your “what not to do” list. We have to master the art of telling ourselves “no.”

If we don’t set healthy boundaries to pave the way and set us up to accomplish what is truly important, our unhealthy habits (watching Netflix, scrolling Instagram for hours, and mindless shopping on Amazon) bleed into our precious time without a second thought.

We owe it to ourselves, our future selves, and our loved ones to set strict boundaries for ourselves. Where do you need to set a boundary for yourself? Write it down. Stick to it. Spend your precious, finite time on what matters.