It takes a lot to get me pissed off. I generally run fairly calmly, right down the middle in most scenarios, and at this point in my career, I can navigate the various curveballs that come my way with ease.
Yesterday, I threw all of that out the window and got so fired up that I spent thirty minutes unloading on our SVP of HR. What started it all was an email from my boss. I won't go into specifics to protect the innocent, but I was furious.
I read the email in the middle of another meeting. I can't tell you anything that happened in that meeting after that. After spending the next hour cooling down, I decided to call him to talk through things. He didn't answer.
I got home, unloaded on my wife, and she gently urged me to go for a walk. After being out on the streets for about ten minutes, my phone rang. It was him.
I had two options. One: answer the phone and potentially disrupt my time to get some sun and listen to something that brings me joy. Two: disregard the call, and set the boundary that I would call him first thing in the morning.
I chose option two.
The Moment I Hit Send, I Felt Peace
As a guy who has always answered the phone when his boss called — even 20 years into my career — even in the middle of dinner or on family vacation — choosing option two was tough. But in that moment, I needed to prioritize my own mental state.
I sent a quick text that simply said, "Hey, I'm going to call you first thing in the morning. I'm out getting some air and want to have this conversation with a clear head." That was it. No apology. No overexplaining. Just clarity.
The moment I hit send, I felt something rare: peace. I had reclaimed the power in how I wanted to show up. Not reactively. Not emotionally. But intentionally.
Look, I'm not suggesting you ignore your boss or start ghosting your team when things get uncomfortable. But if you're constantly operating in fear of how someone else might perceive you, you've already surrendered control. Boundaries aren't rebellion — they're an act of respect for yourself.
The best work doesn't come from burnout. It doesn't come from saying yes to every email at 10pm or jumping on every call like your career depends on it. The best work comes from people who protect their energy and give themselves space to think, reset, and respond instead of reacting.
If you take anything from this: you don't owe immediate access to anyone just because they outrank you. You owe yourself peace, clarity, and the courage to hold your own line. That's not disrespectful — it's responsible. And if that boundary makes someone else uncomfortable? That's not your problem to fix.