Here’s why you need strong boundaries in order to be successful.

You are much more likely to achieve success (to get the outcome you want) if you take action. Passive non-action will take you to an outcome, but it probably won’t be the outcome you want.

Even more effective than taking action is taking deliberate, focused action with a specific outcome in mind. Deliberate action, focused on a goal, taken consistently over time, is a killer recipe for success.

Boundaries are the separation between you, and other people. Without boundaries, you won’t be able to take deliberate, focused action because you’ll be swayed in random directions by the competing opportunities and requests that come up along the way. Saying yes to deliberate, focused action toward your goal means saying no to countless interruptions, distractions, and people with agendas that don’t fit yours. Saying yes to one thing means so no to everything else, and that’s a lot of stuff, which means a lot of saying no. Without boundaries, which give you the ability to say no, you can’t have self-control.

Success requires deliberate, focused action. Deliberate, focused action requires self-control. Self-control requires boundaries.

One of the companies I own, ATS Acoustics, made the Inc. 5000 list for 2010. This list ranks the fastest-growing non-tiny companies in the U.S. based on their size in 2009 compared to their size in 2007. We ranked at position 1,272. This is a pretty cool accomplishment and we are pleased and grateful.