On Sunday afternoon, I went for a run, and I didn’t even feel guilty!
I could very easily have because my daughter had a medium sized tantrum. She wanted me to play with her and I said no.
I can hear you gasping from here!
She cried and jumped around for a while, but I still said no. I told her I would play with her when I returned.
Now – I’m not telling you this story to prove that I can say no.
Or to show you that I take time out for exercise.
I’m telling you this to show you that putting yourself first is important and that it, not something that comes easily, but when you are aware of it, it helps when making these types of decisions.
If I hadn’t have gone out for a run, I would have regretted it. I would have felt lazy. I would have had to wait for another couple of days, and that would have made me feel even worse.
If I hadn’t gone out for a run, and stayed to play with her first, I can guarantee that the play session would not have lasted that long! I would have played for a while and then moved on to another job.
I felt refreshed after my run, as I’d had time to myself, so was happy to give that time back. I felt more focused and was able to be much more present during our play. It ended up being a really special play session, where we all played together, and we all loved it.
My point here is that I could have neglected my own needs but
Instead of everyone else benefitting, I chose for everyone – INCLUDING ME to benefit.
My Take Away Tip:
Switch your focus from “Everyone Else”
to “Everyone” – that means YOU.
Instead of giving all of your energy to everyone else, take a moment to think how you can switch it so that you are included in what you are giving out (I mean love, fun, time alone..)
Try doing exactly what I did, and do something for you first, and for your family second. It doesn’t mean you have to do it all the time, but it does help you get better at putting your own needs first!
Notice how much brighter you feel, how you have put your self first – without putting your family last!
Your Next Step
