The People, Process, & Progress Podcast - Set Boundaries Before Burnout - Reset Friday #2 | S7Ep4

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

Saying yes to everything is one of the fastest ways to end up burned out and unfocused. In this short Reset Friday: Boundaries Before Burnout, I share a practical way to protect your energy and set boundaries that actually stick. Learn how to use one simple reset phrase to stay aligned with your priorities and show up better for the people who matter most.

Welcome back to episode two of Reset Friday. This is a series where just in a few minutes, we reset our focus, carry something practical into the weekend. So last week, we recovered with a trifecta of recovery, breathing, yoga, cold plunges. I actually did that this morning. And this week, we moved from recovery of the body to recovery of the mind by setting boundaries before we get burned out. Welcome to People Process Progress. I'm Kevin Pineau, and this show is where balance and planning come together. We build on the seven pillars for a balanced life and the seven pillars.

of project leadership because the same habits that keep us steady at home help us deliver at work and the same disciplines that drive projects forward also help us live with balance. Each episode brings lessons from fitness, presumed jihitsu, recovery, leadership, and health care and public safety. The goal is simple to help you lead stronger, recover smarter, and stay anchored. This is my two cents and does not reflect any employer. Now let's own our minds, move our bodies, and anchor our spirits. There was a time when, I said yes to a lot of things, right, to projects, to meetings, to extra commitments at work and at home.

It'll surface it looked like I was dependable and driven, but inside I was getting stretched thin and running out of steam. Have you been there? I wasn't doing anyone favors by showing up tired or distracted or resentful, and I learned this the hard way is that saying yes to everything is really saying no to your health, your focus, and people that matter most. so in my book the stability equation one of the seven pillars is boundaries right boundaries are not walls they help keep us aligned with what matters most and protect us from sliding into burnout

think of them as intentional yeses or noes right because no is okay to say so healthy boundary says yes i will give my best energy to the work and relationships that matter no i will not overcomit and sacrifice my health and family or focus. Boundaries are about clarity, both for me and who I'm talking to, right? They keep us from drifting into commitments that can drain us, right? We pick up more overtime, we want more shifts, we want those cool new projects, right? But that drains us and it gives us the freedom, though, to show up better for what really counts when we do say, you know what, I don't have the bandwidth for that right now.

No, I have a commitment at home I need to stick with, which is hard, right? Because we get pulled in a lot of different directions and, you know, want to do a different different things a lot as humans. So here's a simple reset action that you can try today that I've used a few times and it works pretty good. In a clear and respectful phrase, right, when you're asked to take something on that you don't have capacity for. So if you're asked, try saying, I can't take that on right now, but here's what I can do.

So it keeps the door open, but it protects your energy, right? It signals that you're willing, but you're not willing to burn out. So if you need something even shorter, use this internal reset check, right? Does this commitment align with my priorities, like what I want to do, where I want to be right now? And if I say yes, what am I then saying no to? Right? And just this pause can help slow down or save you from burnout.

So as we close today in this short Reset Friday, boundaries do keep us steady, right? They help us make progress without breaking ourselves down. And I'll talk about in a future Reset Friday. episode about pushing your boundaries as well, but today it's about setting them for yourself. So as you head into your weekend, practice one boundary. Use that reset phrase, right? I can't take it on right now, but here's what I can do. Take the pause before committing, really think about it. And then give yourself permission to protect your energy. Thank you for spending this time with me on people process progress. If today's episode helped you, share it with someone who could use it

too. For more, check out my two books. The Stability Equation. Seven Pillars for a More Balanced Life, and the People Process and Progress of Project Management. Both are available now on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover formats. You can also find more conversations, lessons, and short videos on the People Process Progress YouTube channel, and follow me on X and Instagram at Pinell KG. And of course, keep tuning in here to the People Process Progress podcast where together we keep building balanced lives, stronger teams, and better outcomes. Until next time, own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit, and God's

video.