In this society, we tend to glamorize ‘busy’ and often when we are ‘busy’ there is one thing that goes out the window, taking care of ourselves! I’ve done this personally, during seasons I need to pour extra in one area of life, or during a season where there is a shift, I am the first one to put myself on the back burner. The problem is, at that moment when we need to pour extra, putting myself on the backburner is the LAST thing anyone should do. Can you relate? This has been a growth area for me which I have become very intentional to overcome.
Especially if you are in a leadership role, whether this is within your home or elsewhere, this lesson is invaluable. You can’t pour from an empty cup. I have learned that taking good care of myself takes intention, planning and honoring my schedule. If you remember, the FIRST thing I do during my Sunday sit-down is to plan my care and leisure. I also take time to delete and delegate where I am able, to allow room in my schedule to not be over-scheduled. Leaders build slack in their day! In my opinion, care starts with getting your schedule in order. Learn to say ‘no’ and choose to do what honors your priorities. Side note, your calendar will always reflect your true priorities. Let’s also purge any guilt or internal ‘bully’ you may have that tells you that taking good care of yourself is selfish! Taking good care of yourself is not selfish, it is a gift to everyone else in your life, your children, partner, employees, friends, and the list goes on! When you choose to show up as the best you…that sends a powerful message and it lifts other around you up too! There are a variety of areas that I am intentional about taking good care, I will share a bit of what I do in case you find some inspiration: Physical Acupuncture 1x/ month Chiropractic weekly Personal beauty appointments are all re-occurring (hair, lashes, nails, brows). Morning Movement Housekeeper Mental/ Emotional Resilience rituals like Morning Routine (Movement, Journaling, Reading, Vision Sheet, Devotional, Darren Daily) Sunday Sit-down Set times to talk to mentors who lend wisdom in specific ways (various mentors) Scheduled vacations. Learning Mentor/s ( I have 4) Coaching Program Insane Productivity Program Daily Reading Mastermind Groups (I am in 3) Spiritual Daily Devotionals Reading Relationships Date night with Adam 1x minimum weekly with a friend One helpful habit I have created is setting up as many appointments as I can as re-occurring, this removes me needing to remember to make an appointment. A fun little tidbit I have learned through Darren Hardy is that for every $1 you invest in yourself, you get $30 back. Another Darren Hardy guideline, invest 10% of your income in yourself – between gaining new skills, development, and care. I know some of you are stunned by that, but truly we are our best investments! For a deep dive on this topic, I encourage you to read Your Oxygen Mask First by Kevin N Lawrence (link here (not affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/Your-Oxygen-Mask-First-Leadership-ebook/dp/B076TBQP61 . This book, coupled with a mentor and a coaching program I am in, have revolutionized my approach & mindset around self-care. I encourage you to make some goals around this area for yourself, start small. I still have goals I am growing into with my care! You owe it to yourself, and those around you to show up as the best you – and honestly the journey is where all the fun is at! I’d love to hear how you plan to lean in to self care! Cheers, Beth
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Let’s chat about morning routines, do you have one?
For me, my morning routine is what sets the tone for the rest of the day. When I wake up proactively and practice a set of habits that help me to take control of my day it makes a significant difference in both me, my productivity, and how my day pulls together My morning routine is where I take time for me, to pour into my own cup. If I miss my routine...because let’s face it we are human and that WILL happen from time to time...my day takes control of me and I show up very differently. Just simply the difference in how I show up and my increase in production for the day is enough motivation to stay consistent...most of the time. Over time, my morning routine has evolved. I have learned ways to set myself up to succeed (lots of trial and error), and I have also navigated different seasons in life that demanded my routine look different. My morning routine when I first started the agency, when my kids were little and now are all different. Sometimes I just need a changeup simply because I am bored, and my routine needs a refresh. So, a morning routine is one habit that I consider living and breathing, you need to assess what is working and what is not working and change course when needed. Currently, I am refreshing my morning routine, so I am trying on a variety of different ideas. The morning routine I had for 2 years had reached its shelf life, it was not holding my engagement like it needed to. That is normal, I am human, and a refreshed routine is exciting to explore. I have tried several different routines, like working out by myself (not a great idea) and going to the gym with my husband (left me too rushed at the end of my routine) and I have not hit my sweet spot yet but here are items that I KNOW I need to do in the morning: -Getting up in the 5:00 hour is best for me -I need to get movement in before anything else, and it’s best that I anchor this socially or get to a class as I will push harder and show up more consistently. Basically, I want to be in the middle of my workout when I fully wake up. -I try to get through at least 1/3 gallon of water when I am working out (this tends to be easy for me). I have a gallon water bottle I like to fill up in the morning, so that takes measuring out of the equation. -After, I grab coffee and I: -Read a devotional for the day, listen to Darren Daily, review my day (planned during my Sunday sit-down), read for 10 minutes, look at my vision sheet, and journal about the above-mentioned items. -I make my bed before I get ready for the day. I am careful to make sure I give myself ample time for the above items, if I rush myself, it just does not do me or anyone else a favor. If you are exploring morning routines, here are some items you could explore adding to a morning routine: Affirmations Visualization Meditation/ Prayer Reading the Bible Journaling Movement/ working out Getting outside Reading Write out gratitude Listen to a podcast Review your goals Make your bed Meal Prep The ideas are never ending...it’s a quick google search away for some inspiration. There is no right or wrong routine, for example, my husband likes to work out mid-morning, not right away in the morning, like I do. The routine needs to fit YOU. If morning routines are a new consideration for you, I would also encourage you to keep it simple when you start. I tend to want to make grandiose plans that are overly demanding, and I will not show up for them. Like I remind myself, start small and stay curious about what is working and not working for you! Simplicity wins! Consistency wins! I challenge you to try on a morning routine and take control of your day! I’d love to hear what you try, and how it impacts you. Cheers, Beth Join our A Team as we did an informal training on my Sunday Sitdown process. This would be the longest blog post ever, so I thought sharing this training would be the most productive. I'd love to hear your take-aways! What is a personal operating system and why is it important?
A personal operating system gives you the routines, practices, and habits for success. It is something YOU create for yourself. It is unique to each of us and it changes and evolves as we do; I like to think of it as a living ‘thing.’ It’s a set of practices you commit to. In my experience, I prefer to focus on habits rather than goals – habits help us become the person we need to be in order to reach our goals. When you pre-decide and have habits set, countless micro-decisions that you make every day can be removed. Personal operating systems give you agency and ownership over your life and give you the freedom to focus on what really matters. One of the reasons I love this concept is because the systems are personal, they are built around me, what I need, what I want to accomplish. They point me in the direction of the next best version of me. Sometimes I fail, but that is not the point, we’re people and we will fail. It’s that you are committing to an ongoing practice. If this concept is new to you – and honestly, I didn’t read about this anywhere, I made it up for myself. I suggest you start with Sunday Planning or Morning Routine, just pick one...and make it simple! In the next few weeks, I will walk you through my routines, but also share how it started, how I make sure I follow through (some things I anchor socially, etc.), and how my systems have changed as my seasons have changed...and heck...sometimes I just get bored and need to mix it up! As I sat down to write, I realized I have more than three systems! Sunday sit down Morning routine Cadence of care Weekly register Life audit Some systems I have deeply embedded into my life, especially my Sunday Sit-down. Other systems I'm still working on nailing down, like my weekly register is newer to me and I am still working on it becoming a habit. I also try to stay aware of the fact that systems and routines are important, and I also don’t want to automate myself...I am not a robot. I personally need to be careful that my routines are not overly strict or too detailed (at least to start) or I will rebel against myself. I have learned this past year also, that I don’t want to rush myself...so allowing amble time is important. I will also share how quarterly I review what I am doing, I take a moment to pause and zoom out to see what is working, what is not working, and what I should add or take away. I guess you could call it a life audit or sorts. I don’t want to get stuck in a routine that is not serving to move me to the next level – or to do things just because I have always done my routine that way. A personal operating system demands a lot of self-awareness and this pause is a time to leverage that awareness. This is a fun topic for me to share as it’s been a catalyst to a lot of growth. I hope you will join me next week for my outline of my Sunday Sit-down! Cheers, Beth |
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