Since I started working with global teams, I knew that I would find myself in meetings very early in the morning or very late at night. As global teams, we try to find a time zone that works for most of us. We know that this is part of the role. What I didn't realize was how this could impact my family.

I have three beautiful kids, and when I start to work very early, even when working from home, there are days I can hardly say goodbye when they leave for school. Similarly, when I have meetings at night, I can't join them for dinner, read their favorite books, or put them to sleep.

At first, I told myself that those days were the exception. But after a while, you find yourself more often on those schedules. You find that it takes work to set boundaries.

If you're a responsible person, sooner or later, you will probably find yourself planning to work late because you spend most of your day in meetings and can't finish your 'real work.' It's almost like an involuntary reaction. You tell yourself, 'I need to finish,' or 'I need to respond to those emails,' etc.

We end up immersed in a routine of accomplishment and short gratification, and sometimes we are unaware of the impact on our lives. Are we aware of how not stopping affects our lives? How does it really affect us not spending time for ourselves and our families? Personally, I enjoy having time with myself for reflection that allows me to put things into perspective and set the right priorities, so I decide in advance the time that I'm going to block to share with my family, read, do sports... the things that I define as important.

The pandemic changed the way many people work. But it also invites us to be clear about the boundaries we need to set on how we spend our time. If we don't take the time and make a conscious decision and define those limits in advance, we can very easily find ourselves breaking them.

I'm writing this during the weeks I decided to be fully dedicated to my loved ones on a family trip.

What boundaries work for you?