3 Steps to Taking Care of Yourself

Today I feel like looking at my soul.

Have you ever had one of those days? Life seems to be going by so fast. Things move and change and most of the time, I don’t even notice. I just get by.

What do I want? What do you want from your life? Now seems like just as good a time as any to figure that out doesn’t it? After all, if we don’t do it now, we may never get around to it.

I know one thing. I don’t want to be that guy that reaches his 90^th birthday and says “What the heck happened?!”

Of course it doesn’t help that I own a business. Such a lifestyle only pushes me faster. Makes me less sensitive to time and the revolving world. Don’t get me wrong. Owning a business is great. I couldn’t be more proud of Ignite Spot and my role within the company. It’s not that. If I’m going to be honest with myself, and I always should, I work a lot. Too much sometimes. How about you?

I walked into my office today and opened up my calendar to see a myriad off appointments and to-do lists that I left myself from last Friday.

Hmmmm….

I need to get them done, but before I charge off, I need to take care of me. Something I don’t do enough.

As I write this, “Where are You Going” by Dave Matthews is playing on my radio. Coincidence?

INSTRUCTIONS: Play the video below as you read the rest of this post. If you're ready to get reflective about your life, it will put you in the right mood.

Here’s my plan today for finding myself. If you decide to take a similar path, let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Find a Café

I need to get away, even if it's for just 1 hour. I need to go somewhere quite with nothing but a note pad and a pen. A café or a bookstore is often my shelter from a busy life. It’s weird, but the best decisions I have ever made have usually come when I have been sitting in a quite space with a piece of blank paper in front of me.

I know I’m busy today, but I also know I won’t be at my best if I don’t get my head on straight.

Uncover 50 Ways to Say Thank You

Working this hard can isolate you. Right now, I feel pretty unconnected from myself. That’s not a good place to be in. So here’s an idea. I’m going to take my pen and paper and come up with at least 50 ways to say thank you to myself, my family and my staff. It’s a brainstorming session to do nothing other than think of ways to have fun, release and appreciate the people in my life that I love. And yes, that includes myself.

Pick One and Run with It

If I created this list and then did nothing about it, I would be worse off. Why? Because I would be denying myself and my life the kind of gratitude that I know is possible. So, I’ll take action on at least one of them today.

Here's a quote that may help you on your way as you act on something that will bring you happiness and gratitude today...

"Walk as if you are kissing the ground with your feet." - Thích Nhất Hạnh

One final thought. Do you ever feel guilty taking time for yourself? Why is that? Why do we feel like we constantly have to exhaust ourselves? Even finely tuned machines need repair and maintenance on a routine schedule. Everything breaks down overtime and needs care and attention. Even you.

If you’re feeling disconnected, take some time for yourself today. I know that I will. When I come back tomorrow, I’ll be on top of my game.

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