I was in the kitchen making breakfast when my then eight-year-old son asked if I could help with his maths homework after school. I glanced at my phone - three missed calls, seventeen unread emails, and a calendar that looked like Tetris on steroids. "Maybe later, son," I muttered, already reaching for my laptop. He shrugged and walked away, but not before saying, "Daddy, you never have time anymore."

That moment gutted me more than any failed pitch or missed deadline ever could. Because he wasn't wrong. I'd become one of those people who wore exhaustion like a badge of honour, answering emails at midnight and calling it "dedication." But what was I really dedicated to? Being busy, or being present?

For years, I'd convinced myself that "work-life balance" was a myth - something consultants peddled to people who weren't serious about success. I was wrong. Dead wrong. And it nearly cost me everything that actually mattered.

The Emperor's New Work Ethic

Here's the uncomfortable truth: we've been sold a lie about what professional success looks like. Somewhere along the way, we confused being busy with being productive, being available with being valuable, and being exhausted with being important.

I used to think boundaries were for people who "didn't want it enough." Ironically, it was only when I started setting them that my career - and my revenue - actually doubled. But more on that in a moment.

The real kicker? Most of us are so deep in the cult of constant availability that we can't even see how barmy it's become. We check emails during family dinners, take calls on weekends, and somehow convince ourselves this is "just what it takes."

It's not dedication; it's delusion.

The Seven Boundaries That Changed Everything

After that kitchen conversation with my son, I knew something had to give. But I didn't want to give up my ambition - I wanted to channel it more intelligently. Here are the seven boundaries that transformed not just my work, but my entire relationship with it:

The Email Curfew became my first line of defence. No emails after 7pm or before 7am. Full stop. My urgent isn't everyone else's emergency, and their emergency doesn't automatically become mine. The world didn't end. Clients didn't flee. In fact, they respected me more.

The Weekend Fortress meant putting my phone on airplane mode Saturday mornings. I was terrified the first time I did it. What if something important happened? What if a client needed me? Here's what actually happened: nothing. And my clients learned that Harvey on Monday morning was infinitely more valuable than Harvey on Saturday morning, half-present and resentful.

Lunch Liberation sounds simple, but it was revolutionary for me. Thirty minutes away from my desk, non-negotiable. I discovered something remarkable: productivity actually increased when I took proper breaks. Who knew that treating yourself like a human being instead of a machine might improve performance?

The Meeting Buffer changed the entire rhythm of my days. Fifteen-minute gaps between calls meant no more rushing from crisis to crisis, no more joining meetings breathless and scattered. This tiny change made me feel like I had actual control over my time rather than being constantly reactive.

The "No" Script was perhaps the hardest to implement. "I'd love to help, but my plate is full" became my diplomatic weapon of choice. Saying no to good things made room for great things. Revolutionary concept, that.

The Energy Audit meant tracking what drained versus what energised me throughout the day. Turns out, I'd been structuring my entire schedule around other people's urgencies rather than my natural rhythms. Madness, really.

The Sacred Morning became my secret weapon. The first hour was mine: exercise, reading, thinking. Starting the day grounded changed everything that followed. It's amazing how much clearer your thinking becomes when you begin from a place of calm rather than chaos.

The Bridges, Not Walls Revelation

Here's what nobody tells you about boundaries: they're not walls that keep opportunities out. They're bridges that lead to better opportunities. Bridges to deeper work, stronger relationships, and actual creativity.

When I started setting these boundaries, something counterintuitive happened. My revenue didn't drop - it doubled. My team didn't resent my limits - they copied them. My family didn't just get more time - they got the real me back.

The brutal truth about "work-life balance" is that it's not about perfect 50/50 splits. It's about being fully present wherever you are. When I'm with my family, I'm actually with them. When I'm working, I'm actually working. Both benefit enormously from this focused attention.

The Productivity Paradox

There's something deliciously ironic about discovering that working less can make you more successful. But it makes perfect sense when you think about it. When you're constantly available, you train everyone around you to treat your time as worthless. When you protect your time, you signal that it - and by extension, you - are valuable.

My clients didn't leave when I set boundaries. If anything, they became more decisive, more prepared, and more respectful of the time we did spend together. Scarcity creates value, even in professional relationships.

The energy audit was particularly revealing. I discovered that my most creative thinking happened in the early morning. Still, I'd been scheduling all my administrative tasks then and saving the "important" work for when I was mentally exhausted. Backwards thinking that was costing me dearly.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

In our hyperconnected age, the ability to disconnect isn't just nice to have - it's essential for survival. We're drowning in other people's urgencies while our own important work suffers. We're so busy being busy that we've forgotten what we're actually trying to achieve.

The remote work revolution has made this worse, not better. When your office is your home, boundaries become even more crucial. Without them, work expands to fill not just all available time, but all available space and headspace too.

Your Action Plan (Because Knowledge Without Action Is Just Entertainment)

1. Start with one boundary: Choose the easiest one from my list and implement it this week. Don't try to revolutionise your entire life on Monday morning.

2. Communicate your boundaries clearly: Tell your team, your clients, your family what you're doing and why. Most people respect boundaries once they understand them.

3. Track your energy patterns for one week: Note when you feel most creative, most drained, most engaged. Then restructure your schedule accordingly.

4. Practice saying no: Start with small requests and work your way up. Remember, every yes to something unimportant is a no to something that matters.

5. Create your own email curfew: Pick times that work for your life and stick to them. Your 11pm email response isn't impressing anyone.

6. Schedule your most important work: Don't leave your priorities to chance. If it matters, it gets a time slot.

7. Review and adjust monthly: Boundaries aren't set in stone. They should evolve as your life and work do.

Remember, boundaries aren't about working less - they're about working better. They're about choosing where to direct your finite energy and attention. They're about being intentional rather than reactive.

The most successful people I know aren't the busiest - they're the most focused. They've learned that saying no to the good creates space for the great. They understand that being constantly available makes you constantly mediocre.

Your future self will thank you for starting today. Your family certainly will. And ironically, so will your bank account.

Keep on rocking!

Harvey.

A Bonus Read For You 📚

I was honoured to be the guest writer on the GTM Strategist newsletter this week, where I outlined my new forthcoming book. I think you’ll get so much out of reading it.

Put the Sunday coffee on and head on over here to read it.