4 Boundaries To Set For A Sustainable Career

December 1, 2025

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By Danielle Nicholson

In our careers, so much can feel out of our control. But there are always elements that are in our control, at least somewhat, and areas where we can make choices about how we want to use our time and energy. Having clear boundaries in your career is one way to take back some of that control. We’re going to use the term loosely, but in this context, a boundary is a personal guideline about your own behavior that helps you act in alignment with your values and protects your time, energy, and wellbeing. 

In your career, the following boundaries can help you make informed, intentional decisions instead of reacting out of fear, pressure, or burnout. Not all of these boundaries are explicitly about money; however, each one shapes your financial life because your time, labor, and energy all have value.

So here are four boundaries to identify for yourself so you can navigate your career with more clarity and less stress.

Boundary #1: I will primarily focus on my job’s core responsibilities of [insert your response].

Define to yourself what is and isn’t your responsibility in your job. That’s not to say that you never do work “above” or “below” your pay grade. Rather, get very clear about what you are being paid to do vs what is extra, so you can focus your limited energy on the most essential tasks.

Many workplaces expect far more from employees than any one person can realistically do; even if you’re your own boss, you might have unrealistic expectations for yourself. So instead of trying to cram in three jobs’ worth of work into your weekly schedule and feeling like a failure when you can’t do it, get very specific about what tasks are truly your responsibility, and make a choice to focus most of your energy on that. 

And yes, this is easier said than done, and requires some level of privilege. Not everyone can refuse a boss’s request or set their ideal boundaries in their workplace. But find a variation that feels safe and accessible to you in your situation. At minimum, letting go of the belief that you can or should take on everything frees you from the constant internal pressure to be endlessly productive. Even if you can’t control everything that lands on your plate, you can release some of the guilt that comes from trying to meet impossible expectations. 

Boundary #2: I will only take on extra work if it provides [insert your response].

Beyond your main job, additional opportunities may come up. You do not have to accept all of them. Creating a personal criteria for extra work (whether that’s a specific pay rate or other benefit) helps you decide what is worth your time. This criteria should reflect what you would need to receive in order to give up time that could otherwise be spent on personal needs or rest. This might include a specific hourly rate, exposure to a new skill set, or helping a cause you deeply care about.

By having a predetermined criteria, you reduce the mental strain of deciding in the moment. Instead of agonizing over whether a particular opportunity, client, or side project is worth it, you can simply refer back to your criteria. This helps you protect your time and energy while still leaving room for meaningful opportunities.

Boundary #3: I will take time off and not work when [insert your response].

It can be hard to stick to specific, rigid work hours. Sometimes, you may want to go outside your normal work schedule for a last minute project, event, or other opportunity. Instead of trying to fit everything into your normal schedule, give yourself some breathing room while still holding boundaries by determining when you won’t work. 

For example, you might be open to working until 7pm on occasional weeknights, but you will not work on any Sunday evenings. You might be willing to check your email on some holidays, but you will not work on your partner’s birthday. Figure out the situations where you want to prioritize time off, and create a boundary of blocking off that time (as best you can, within your ability). This gives you space to be flexible where needed in your career, while still ensuring your most important personal moments are protected. 

The point is not to create a strict schedule that you never break. The point is to give yourself permission to protect your personal time. When you define what hours are truly off limits, you make more thoughtful decisions and avoid drifting into burnout. It also makes it easier to communicate your priorities to colleagues, so they can understand what is most important to you and respect your time off.

Boundary #4: I will only spend [$X] on career development.

It can be surprisingly easy to overinvest in career development. There is an endless avalanche of courses, conferences, coaching packages, business tools and other seemingly life changing offers that all promise career fulfillment and success, and they can feel incredibly tempting. This is why you need to create a clear boundary around how much you are willing to spend (both in money and time) on career development, and what benefit a given offer needs to give you to be worth the cost. 

Set a budget for career development and stick to it. I highly recommend you track your career spending in one place, whether that is with a budgeting app (like Monarch) or even a simple spreadsheet. Knowing what you’ve already spent (and keeping notes on how much a given offer has impacted your career) helps you resist impulse purchases and predatory marketing tactics. Many companies use pressure based sales strategies, especially around the holidays and seasonal sales events, to push expensive offers at a seemingly steep discount. They may claim to be your only chance at creating a fulfilling, secure career in an otherwise scary economic time. Don’t fall for it. 

Career support is valuable, but you should never be pressured into it — and I say this as someone who does offer career coaching services. Your professional development is a long game, and you are not throwing away your future by declining a purchase that is out of your budget. As much as you can, invest in your career slowly and intentionally, not reactively. 

Remember: Boundaries are about clarity, not strict perfection.

You do not need to figure out all of these boundaries at once. Choose one that feels most relevant, set a boundary that feels right for you, and notice how it affects your life. The practice of setting boundaries in your career, even if you are flexible with how you enforce them, will help you make decisions based on your values rather than fear or urgency. They give you a framework for making thoughtful choices, protecting your time, and building a career that grows in a sustainable direction. You deserve a career that respects your limits and supports your wellbeing, and these boundaries can help you build that foundation.

Danielle Nicholson is a holistic career coach who helps young women build sustainable, balanced careers that align with their bigger life goals. She draws on her background in counseling, education, digital marketing, hiring, and the creative arts to help clients design career paths that feel both fulfilling and achievable. To learn more about her coaching services, visit GenZCareerCoach.com, or say hello on LinkedIn!

December 15th: The Just Getting Good Holiday Party in NYC — Join us and our friends at Dieux Skin for a fabulous holiday party to celebrate our newest podcast, Just Getting Good! We’ll be joined by some of our favorite guests from this season for a live show, which will be followed by a VIP cocktail reception to keep the celebration going! We have less than 20 spots left, grab your ticket now before we sell out!

January 8th: How To Use Monarch — This is a totally FREE workshop for both new and existing Monarch users to learn how to get the most out of our team's favorite budgeting app! This workshop will be co-hosted by Alexa Claire (TFD content and Production Manager) along with Rachel Samara (TFD Marketing Director) who both use Monarch daily! In this workshop, we’ll walk you step-by-step through how to set up Monarch, personalize it to your financial goals, and use its most powerful features to take control of your spending. Whether you’re budgeting for the first time or looking to finally stay consistent, this session will help you build a system that actually fits your real life. Come ready to follow along, ask questions, and leave with a clear structure you can start using immediately. [Please note this workshop was originally scheduled for December 4th, but we moved it to this new date]

*This link will prompt you to download Monarch + show proof of download before being sent to the workshop registration page

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