The Year 2020 - Choose Yourself First

The Year 2020 - Choose Yourself First

My plan was to post this on January 1st. BUT January 2020 turned out to be a year all on it's own. It really tested my mental health. So much needed to be done but I had to take care of myself first to maintain my mental stability.

So here I am. In February. Starting.  Because I needed to Choose Myself First.

It's now Febuary 3, 2020. ​

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let's make 2020 the Year of Choosing Yourself First a practice.

Choosing yourself first is not selfish.

It's not about neglecting your children, your partner, or your job.

Choosing yourself first is about being the best version of yourself possible. Choosing yourself first is the ultimate expression of love for your children, spouse and everybody else that you love, because it equips you to be able to give your best.

Choosing yourself first means putting aside that which is popular and/or trendy in order to do what's best for your body, mind and spirit.

It means choosing something you would rather not if it means keeping you alive, vibrant and thriving. For example,  eating a whole foods, plant-based diet, instead of the SAD (Standard American Diet) consisting of the addicting, flavorful mounds of meat and tasty morsels of processed food.

It means getting up an extra hour early so that you can get in a 30-60 minute workout each day, or work on your side hustle or so you can have that time just for yourself in anyway you please.

It means taking yourself out on a date to do something you love. That can be a hike, a spa day, a solo picnic in the park, a trip to the library or the museum to immerse yourself in your favorite topic.

Choosing yourself involves doing some inner work. That means asking yourself the hard answers and being completely honest with yourself. What is your why - the reason you want the things you want; why you do the things you do? What are your values and what are you willing to do to maintain or defend those values. What are your standards - some of you want a spouse/partner so badly, what are you willing to accept and tolerate vs what are you willing to settle for? Why are you willing to settle?

Doing inner work also means getting a therapist and/or life coach. You can ask yourself all of those hard questions but it is not alway easy to answer them. Often we need someone to help us dig up and process those answers. Sometimes we even need help to ask the question.

It means doing what's necessary to get the best sleep you can get every night. Note: no one does well on 4 hours of sleep each night. Yeah, you might be able to function but sooner or later it will catch up to you in the form of sickness, which will require money and time to correct - if you're lucky.

Choosing yourself means saying no to the things you really don't want. If you really don't want that job because it doesn't challenge you, or offer a big enough salary, say no; if you really don't want to spend an evening at dinner with people who don't support you, say no. IMPORTANT: No is a complete sentence.

And know this, silence is also an act of choosing yourself.

Choosing Yourself first means making the choices necessary to create a life that you do not need to run away from.

It doesn't matter your age, you can start now designing the life you want by choosing yourself first.

CHOOSE YOURSELF FIRST