How often do you put yourself first?
If you were asked to document everything you did in 24 hours and then group your activities into these buckets: Work, Home, Family, Me – what percentage would be in the Me bucket?
For many, many years, my activities centered solely around my business and my family. I have spent many hours following and admiring inspiring people who commit to exercise; who prioritize mindfulness and stillness; and who still show up every single day with their game face on. It amazed me that they could get it all done.
Then I realized their secret.
It wasn’t about “squeezing” it all in. It was more about showing up for themselves first, to have more to give to others.
2021 marks the year I chose to change a few things up – not all at once, but I find that a tiny shift for the positive leads to other positive shifts. I have forced myself to schedule (yes, in my calendar) time for exercise, for meditation, for friendships. These times are non-transferable and non-negotiable – they drive my day. I have even taken things a step further by purposefully setting myself up for success in a few different ways…
- I invested in myself by investing in a stand-up desk; I am actively (literally) investing in friendships by walking and talking with my friends -> both of these first two things help me be more active at work while catching up with those dearest to me. I downloaded a meditation app, and it has worked wonders in showing me a world of meditation less intimidating and more manageable for me.I was able to shift a few things and hire a personal trainer to work with me to build more muscle and be more active (this was a significant shift for me)
I realized that being a mother and a wife comes with heaps of responsibility for my family’s well-being. It also means I am a role model to my children. Sure, they need me to teach and guide them, feed and shelter them, love them unconditionally… but they also need me to show them how to put themselves first.
The extra activity, my morning meditation, and the active connections I have with my friends, have helped me show up for my family and my clients, in ways that I wasn’t able to before. It was never about giving more to everyone else – instead, it was about filling myself up so that I could simply be more for everyone else.