It’s All About YOU Baby!
As busy moms, wives, sisters, daughters, we quickly jump into action with our routine of taking care of everyone in the family, the household, etc. except ourselves. We are caregivers. It is part of our nature, our DNA. But we always forget about the most important person of all – I know this may sound selfish, but we know it is true – OURSELVES.
One wise young man told me once, and I am sure many of you must have heard this, “If you don’t care of yourself, how are you going to take care of your loved ones?” Well…this year is the year to put yourself first, numero uno, yep you are #1.
Here are 5 quick tips that can put you into action to ensure that this year does not go by like all the others in the past, leaving YOU feeling incomplete.
1. Mindset Reset – Remind your mind that you are in control, not the other way around. Take control of your thoughts, emotions; get focused. Get into the right “mode”. This is one thing you cannot ask Alexa to help you out with because trust me she has her marching orders and she is not letting emotions get in her way of her performing her preconfigured tasks. Become an Alexa.
2. Goal Setting – Yes we all have goals. But it is one thing to have it in your mind and another to write it down and have it in a place where you can refer to it often. They don’t have to be big goals, they could be small milestones and they are personal to you. Help them fuel your vision and have that vision pull you forward. I have used that type of visualization for years and time and time again it has pulled me along on life’s journey. Quite exciting.
3. Schedule YOU in – As moms we are professional project planners. We are always ten steps ahead (or we try to be), but because we have been forced to do so many things in such a limited time, we feel that multitasking is a great skill to have. However, you end up not getting a break for YOU. You find yourself more tired and overwhelmed in the process. And that is when you can easily push off something that you were supposed to do for you on to another day. When planning out your day, always fit some time in your schedule just for YOU. Just DO IT!
4. Write to Yourself – It is so therapeutic writing to oneself. At least you are not talking out loud and people looking at you like you are a looney bin. Now if you are like me, writing takes a lot of effort. I type a lot faster than I write and if I do want to be able to read it back, I best go the route of typing it up. When you e-journal often, when you look back at the date, it helps you evaluate where you are and your various milestones along your path.
5. Reward Yourself – Yes you deserve it. And you have earned it. Treat yourself to something every day. Yes, I said it. Even if it is sipping a cup of tea and reading a book or looking at a comedy in the evening when the house has finally gotten quiet! Go get a pedicure or a haircut and pamper yourself. One of the very inexpensive things that I do personally, that makes me feel like I am in a spa – take a long, warm bubble bath and have some scented oil infusing my environment and voila – Spa Day – without leaving your home. (Oooweeee – I can feel that now – Ok Keitha Focus now).
So, remember to take the time to plan how YOU are going to get through the days, the weeks, the months, the year like you do everything else in your life. But remember the greatest gift that you can give yourself is taking care of YOU.
