It happened to me again. I volunteer to do something small because I want to help. Pretty soon I’m spending way more time than I had intended. In fact, my brain is so full of this organization’s problems that I haven’t had time lately for my first love, writing. And this fact took a long while to sink in. Since community service of some kind is so important for us all to consider, I have a thought that applies no matter how or how much you volunteer your time. Decide on your boundaries BEFORE you say “yes”. How much time can you give without compromising you or those you care most about? Doing it ahead might keep you in the beginning from getting overwhelmed in the end.