The Moment She Realized She’d Lost Herself
Practice putting yourself first – with me, right by your side.
It’s hard to believe that we’re tip-toeing into back-to-school season. Where did summer go?
In a recent coaching conversation, a client shared with me how behind she feels at this point in the year.
All the goals she’d set…
The priorities she’d declared…
The self-care routines, the workout plans, the promotion moves…
Somewhere along the way, she lamented, she’d lost track of it all. And it makes sense why:
She’d used up all her time and energy on other people’s *stuff*. Their priorities, their requests, their needs.
Where was she in all of this?
It’s a great question.
If this resonates, you’re in great company because it happens to the best of us (even me!).
When life feels full like this…
When our energy is minimal and our focus is elsewhere…
It’s natural to put ourselves at the bottom of our to-do list.
But I’ll be honest with you: it feels awful.
Just like my client, you know that putting yourself last (AKA: putting everyone and everything before you) is exhausting. It’s depleting. It’s depressing!
Here’s the rub:
No one else is going to stop what they’re doing and give you permission to put yourself first.
No one else is going to wave their magic wand and gift you more hours in the day.
Your life needs to be lived – by YOU. And it starts with putting yourself first.
Try This Out
I faced a similar challenge when I had just started my business. I packed my days with client calls and project meetings – which I loved (at first). Over time, though, as I let my schedule get overtaken by other people’s availability and I started sacrificing my needs, I got resentful.
That’s when a friend of mine asked me one of the most powerful questions I’ve ever heard:
“What if you were to treat yourself as the first client of your day?” 🤯
And so that’s what I’m asking you. Grab your journal and reflect on these questions:
What gets in the way of you prioritizing yourself – in the morning, or at any time in the day? What’s hard about it?
What might it look like to make yourself your first “client” every morning? What might you change, prioritize, or do differently?
How do you imagine these changes might impact how you feel, act or experience your day? What’s important about that?
Take a look at your calendar for the week ahead. Do you have any blocks of time dedicated to you? If not, schedule them in! If yes, find at least one more block of time that you can reserve for yourself.
What’s Next
While it’s true that no one is handing out permission slips, it’s also true that the people who love you want to see you thriving.
They want to see you healthy, well-rested, and serving from a full cup.
So I want you to take these questions to heart today.
Find a way to make time for yourself.
Carve out 5 minutes to get some fresh air, drink water, have a laugh.
Put down the laundry, decline the meeting, get in bed an hour early.
This is your life. Make sure you’re actually living it.
Onward,
PS: After working together, a different client told me: “In a nutshell, I feel like I've bloomed back into life!”