If you're lucky, you have a dishwashing cat (as seen above) and didn't spend your holiday-post-meal-time with suds up to your ears. If you don't have such a cat, I hope your "dishwashing" time was a sweet segment of solitude for you away from the holiday hustle and bustle. (Tip for introverts: doing dishes is one of the secrets to surviving large holiday gatherings!)
But seriously, Happy New Year to you, my friend.
A big lesson learned in 2019...
Every January, Avery and I take day to reflect on the previous year and set some intentions for the coming year. It's basically a planning retreat— a dedicated day without distractions to get clear on our goals and make plans for the new year.
This week, as I reflected on what happened for me in 2019, I was reminded of an important lesson that we teach in our Mentor-Guided Weight Loss program:
Whitespace isn't just nice to have in your life, it's essential. Toward the end of last year, I lost track of my focus areas. I forgot what was most important to me. I made promises and committed to things that spread me too thin. I thought it would ok to let everyone else's needs take up my valuable and limited whitespace. In my efforts to please everyone, I ended up disappointing people instead. Most of all, I ended up exhausted, grumpy, and feeling like a failure.
Lesson: When we don't give ourselves permission to have personal whitespace, when we don't take care of ourselves first, when we let other people's needs come before our own, we get lost. We lose our ability to be present for those we love. We forget that we are powerful creators who can shape our lives in ways that make us happy and fulfilled.
We forget how awesome it is to be alive and well. And that's not right.
As we dive into 2020, let's look out for each other, ok?
Friends don't let friends settle for default-mode living. We can do better. Let's remind each other that it's essential for each of us to put our own self-care needs at the top of the list.
Let's all set an intention to take good care of ourselves this year.
Not because we should, not because it's the right thing to do, but because it feels good to be healthy. It feels good to live your live in alignment with your values. It feels good to be the one making decisions about how you want to live your life.
And you know what? You are so worthy of taking good care of yourself.
Happy new year. May this one be your healthiest, most awesome, most heart-centered year yet!
Image: Kliban Curious Cat on Etsy