Putting Yourself First Wthout the Baggage of Guilt!

Putting yourself first without feeling guilty is one of the most challenging for many busy entrepreneurs.

We women are notorious for putting other’s needs continuously before our own. You have responsibilities to your business, to your customers, to your family, and on and on.

Having the time to nourish and take care of ourselves has a tendency to take a back seat to all the other responsibilities we juggle. We naturally want to serve and be available to those we love.

However, it often leaves us drained, tired and sometimes sick when we don’t stop to recharge our own battery.

As a mother of 3, a wife, and business owner I, too, struggle with carving “me” time into my very full life. After hitting the proverbial “wall” a few too many times, I have learned that the more I “unplug” and take time for me, the better my whole world flows.

You are like a coffee cup.

Look at your life like a coffee cup and saucer. You are the coffee cup. Taking time for you equates to the yummy coffee (or tea) that fills that cup. The saucer represents your world and the people you serve in it; your kids, your special someone, your clients, your friends, etc. When you take time to fill yourself up with what nurtures you, you begin to fill that cup up to a point that it eventually overflows. The saucer catches your overflow. This is the ‘juice’ that you serve your world with.

When you don’t regularly fill your cup up, yet still serve your world, you use up the wrong ‘juice.’ This drains you of what is left in the cup and gradually it becomes empty. You end up out of ‘juice’ for everyone; you and your world.

Carve out “me” time without the guilt.

Guilt is a common demon for many women entrepreneurs.

We feel guilty for not bringing in the income we desire for our family; and we feel guilty for the business taking time away from our family. It is a never ending, self-sabotaging cycle.

Any thought of taking time out for “me” begins to seem like a fantasy.

It doesn’t require a lot of time, nor money to re-fill your cup.

The thing to realize and understand is that the best thing you can do for your family and your business is to be the best “YOU” you can be.

It does not serve anyone if you are exhausted, frustrated, unhappy, and/or sick from the lack of self-care. Remind yourself that by taking time for you, everyone wins – guilt free!

Vacation is NOT vacation for Mom!

From the time I was a child, I always loved vacations. I loved getting away from home and work and being with family. It was always a great way for me to relax, unwind and have fun. I would come back from vacations refreshed, reenergized and ready to get back into my life.

I have come to realize after several family vacations, that, as a mother, vacations are not vacations for me. While yes—I get away from work and my home—I am still a mom. It is not always relaxing and reenergizing for me.

John is a very “hands-on” dad—but let’s face it; most of the cooking, cleaning up, organization of the family care-taking and activities, etc. lies on Mom.

While I still love to vacation with my family; family vacations are not my type of “recharging” activity that fills my cup.

So, I have learned to design several “me” treats that I incorporate in my schedule that continue to nurture me while I balance my world of family, finances and business.

Now, as you know, time will not just appear available for you. You MUST schedule it in your day. However, you do not have to chunk out large amounts of time. Some treats may only take a few minutes.

The key is to do things that YOU enjoy, that nurture YOU and re-fill your cup. Remember, the little things count.

Here are a few ideas that work for me.

* Grab breakfast/coffee with a good friend before I start my work-day.
* Take the afternoon off and see a movie.
* Write a note or send a card to a dear friend or loved one.
* Get a manicure/pedicure – splurge on the deluxe service.
* Take an hour or so in my day to read a good book.
* Call a friend I haven’t talked to in a while.
* Take a nap during the day – especially when tired. ;-)
* Dance to inspirational music – play it loud!
* Not opening my computer for the ENTIRE weekend.
* Buy a bouquet of flowers and put on my desk.
* Have lunch at a park – sit and swing for a while.
* You do not have to do something extravagant or expensive to create moments of “me” time. The secret is in doing something.

Decide what will bring a bit of joy in your day, schedule it and do it – regularly.

© 2008-2010 The Business Of You, Inc.

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