June 30: The boundary I finally set.

I used to pride myself on my hustle.

Wake up. Jump out of bed. Brush teeth. Work.

Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

I worked on vacations too.

Not because I needed to.

Because it made me feel prideful.

Smug, even.

The grind was a virtue to me, and I wore it like a badge.

I did this through my 20s.

My 30s.

My 40s.

I even tried to restart the pattern in my 50s, the second I recovered from surgery.

I'm Gen X.

This is just how I was socialized: independent, hustle, grind, get it, get more.

What even is self-care?

Even two years ago, while I was at Naughty in N'awlins,

I was emailing daily and taking client calls between seeing the city and teaching.

I’m not that person anymore, and I think this was the last big boundary I had left to tackle:

My time.

There are six main types of boundaries: emotional, intellectual, sexual, physical, material, and time.

Time is the one we skip most often, and I'd argue it might be the most important.

Once that hour, that day, that month has passed, you don't get it back.

Ever.

And how you spend your time touches every other boundary you have.

In Take No Sh*t, I wrote:

"When you set boundaries on your time, and make the time choices most likely to deepen and enlarge your positive moments in your various relationships, you show yourself (and others) what is really important to you."

Even writing that sentence in 2023 felt a little magical.

It just didn't sink in as fast as it should have.

I was still sending daily emails from the road in 2024.

I'd like to think I've finally got the message.

Which is why I'm writing today.

As of yesterday, I am officially on a two-week vacation.

This might be the last email you get until July 13th.

This week is only a half vacation.

I'm still seeing clients and working on Bliss Boogie 2026, a one-day outdoor festival I'm genuinely excited about.

But next Monday, a friend and I board a plane to New Orleans, and for six days we're just eating, relaxing, and being.

No agenda.

No grind.

I might get inspired to send a little something-something between now and then.

But I'm officially letting myself off that hook.

There's no call to action today.

Just this:

I hope you have an amazing next two weeks.

And if you celebrate Independence Day, I hope it brings you the freedom and joy it's supposed to stand for.

--
Rev Heather, aka Nookie, LUQ
https://my.curiouser.life
+1-855-712-5433 (toll-free)

P.S. What's your relationship with time boundaries? Are you the person who answers work emails on vacation, or have you actually cracked the code on switching off?

Hit reply, I want to know.