Creating buffer zones for an optimal life

I loved the dictionary definition of “buffer.” The noun may be my favorite and I intended on writing about the verb.

Noun: A person or thing that prevents incompatible or antagonistic people or things from coming into contact with or harming each other.

Verb: To lessen or moderate the impact of something.

Just like the bumper guards in a bowling alley keep a child’s ball on the right course, having good “buffers” can do the same for us. We tend to fill our schedules fuller than they need to be, or rather should be, and as a result we don’t end up optimizing our lives.

The slower pace of life that can be beneficial to developing better relationships through actual conversation, the ability to truly think through a tough problem, or taking the time to breathe deeply and appreciate nature (thereby making us physically healthier). These are challenged or sometimes even diminished when we don’t have the “buffer” zones built into our schedules. I am perhaps not the best person to point this out since I’m not a victor in this area, but I certainly understand and fully believe in the power of the idea. I have, over the last year, truly tried to build in some of these, and it’s very helpful.

There are a host of ideas of how to do this, including defining how many meetings you are willing to have each day, and how many weekends per month you are willing to “go out” so to speak. If you need some ideas or want to share some ideas, by all means reach out, or help the other readers by listing some in the comments.

Finally, to the last point, which goes back to my fondness for the noun version of “buffer,” I think that is a key lesson for all of us. There are people and then there are “THOSE” people. You know the ones that run on a different pace, or version of reality that tend to make us slightly crazy. We need buffer zones for those people too. In essence, I think creating healthy boundaries so we can “stay in our lane,” is the best policy. I think an upcoming conversation on boundaries may be in order! Let me know what you think!