Serve yourself to serve the world

One of the biggest challenges I see with many of my clients is a lack of self-care. They’re so driven by their work that they forget about their own needs. They’re so wrapped up in a relationship that they fear stepping outside that box to pursue what they feel called toward. They have so many social obligations that they’ll go an entire week without any time alone. They’re so busy busy busy that the idea of personal practices and self-love feels foreign.

Here’s the thing: without daily self-care, your work, relationships, and external commitments become unsustainable. It’s only by taking care of you and your needs that you’ll be able to best serve the world.

During The Bold Academy, one big mistake we made was not incorporating enough time for staff self-care. We created an intense 30-day transformative experience with no days off. Our days began at 7:30am and often ended around Midnight. We built yoga, meditation, fitness, and healthy eating into the programming but there was minimal time for reflection and action outside of Bold.

As a result, my personal practices took a major hit. I stopped writing, I spent barely any time alone, I rarely communicated with my family and friends, and I slept terribly. The experience was so inspiring and exhilirating that for 30 days, it was absolutely worth it. But I’m not sure how much longer we could have gone on and it’s something we’ll definitely adjust in the future.

In the last week since Bold ended, I’ve spent a lot of time taking care of myself. I’ve picked my morning rituals and personal practices back up. I’ve been alone. I’ve slept eight hours every night. I also felt inspired to create a visual that guides my daily and weekly habits, and reminds me of what I’m working toward in the next six months. I use this guide to check-in with myself every morning and evening to make sure I’m making forward progress.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or spread too thin or less in touch with yourself, I recommend creating a self-love visual. It’ll remind you of the simple things you need to do each day to feel like the best version of yourself. It’ll also point you toward your bigger milestones.

Here’s mine:

Here’s how it works:

Daily: What are the key daily activities that make you feel in touch, inspired, and like your best?
Weekly: What do you need to do each week to stay organized, focused, healthy, and pushed outside your comfort zone?
Next Six Months: What are the larger priorities that you are working toward?

By taking care of and prioritizing your own needs, your work, relationships, and life will thrive.

p.s. As I plan and prepare for the next Bold, I’m taking on two clients per month. If you’re looking to gain clarity on your gifts and begin making progress toward a life that fulfills and inspires you, check out my Passion Experiment program and feel free to apply.

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Thanks to Sylvia for reading over the draft.

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