Life can get crazy towards the end of the year for me. Owning retail stores, the holidays, opening a new business and having a one year old can make for a wild scene at my house during Q4. I’m sure many of your know the feeling. Thankfully, over the years I have tucked away some nuggets of information that have helped me go into the last few months of 2021 feeling good about finishing the year strong. Here are my best tips to help you feel great too:
1. Make Time for Massive Self Care: I know it sounds counter intuitive when you feel like there isn’t one extra minute in your day, but putting yourself first and holding massive space and boundaries around that space for yourself will help you have more time. Individuals that create space for restorative rest and recharging are more productive during their working hours. And when I say “self care” I don’t mean all bubble baths and a trip to the spa, even though those things are fabulous and highly encouraged. What I’m speaking about here expands beyond typical R&R weekend. I’m speaking about building healthy daily habits to help you feel great: movement, hydration, gentle routines, 8 hours of sleep, therapy, doing the hard stuff first, giving up what isn’t serving us…ahem…mindless social media scrolling, maybe? Self care is really just a phrase that equates to parenting yourself. It’s about knowing your limits and respecting them. If you want something to grow and thrive, how do we treat it? Do we run it ragged or do we nurture it by giving it all it needs? Most people are expecting themselves to perform at a grade A level, when they haven’t given themselves the tools to truly function at the highest level. What do you need to function at the highest level? Action Item: Make a list of 3 “self care” actions that you could use more of right now. Commit to acting on one item from the list today.
2. Build Your Community: Have you ever left a lunch or coffee with a friend that energizes you? There is something about them that makes you feel happy and excited about things to come. The old adage that we become the culmination of the five people we spend most of our time around is true, whether we like it or not. We are all made of energy. And when I think about it in that sense, I want to be very careful with whom I’m exchanging energy with. Your community should lift you up and energize you. This doesn’t mean that we don’t share our worries or problems with our friends, but it does mean that that worried, anxiety filled conversations are not the bulk of our conversations. Action Item: Set a 45 min coffee date with a friend who raises your vibe over the next two weeks. You’ll be glad you did.
3. Say “No” to say “Yes”: Back in 2019, one of my favorite Peloton instructors said on a ride “If it doesn’t raise my vibe or my bank account, it’s a no.” I loved it so much that I have used it as my mantra when deciding whether to make time for something (or a new someone) in my life. For years I wondered how women like Oprah and Beyoncé accomplished all that they did in the same 24 hour days that I had. I’ve since learned a secret many successful people use daily…they protect their most valuable asset: their time. They make sure and know when their most productive hours are and they don’t allow others to absorb or takeover that time. They know their high value tasks and their high value hours and they set strict boundaries around making sure they get them accomplished. Sometimes you must say “no” to make space for the “yes” that’s truly important. Action Item: Say “no” to one thing this week you’d usually say “yes” to. PRO TIP: Use the phrase, “Thank you so much for thinking of me. I won’t be able to commit to that right now, but I’m flattered that you asked me to be involved.” I guarantee you will love the freedom and space it will create in your life.
