A friendship-boundary worksheet distinguishes the request, your available capacity, and the response you will own. Your friend can be disappointed; the form is not a tool for managing that person's emotions.
Work through these questions: A weekly ride
Completed fictional example — SAMPLE DATA
This example shows how to fill in the form. It is not a real person’s record, a diagnosis, a validated assessment or a promised outcome. Use your own observations and appropriate professional advice for actual health concerns.
| Question or field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Request? | Help with an evening event |
| Available offer? | One hour of setup |
| Limit? | I cannot stay afterward |
| Reply? | I can help with setup until seven |
| Follow-through? | Leave at the time agreed |
Blank worksheet — copy or print
Copy the form into your own private document or print this page. Replace each “Your entry” cell with your own note; leave anything uncertain clearly marked as unknown. This page does not save or submit your entries.
| Question or field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Request? | Your entry |
| Available offer? | Your entry |
| Limit? | Your entry |
| Reply? | Your entry |
| Follow-through? | Your entry |
Completed example
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Request? | A weekly ride |
| Available offer? | One ride on June 14 |
| Limit? | No ongoing Friday driving |
| Reply? | I can help on the 14th, but not weekly |
| Follow-through? | Do not accept later rides automatically |
A worked situation: A weekly ride
Fictional example. A friend asks for a ride every Friday. You can offer one ride this month, not a standing arrangement, and want to explain that without accusing them of having bad motives.
Make the offer usable for your friend
A reply such as "I can help Saturday for one hour" gives the other person something to accept or decline. Do not add an offer you cannot keep merely to soften the limit. If your friend chooses another solution, the boundary still did its job: it represented your capacity accurately rather than controlling the response.