Self-Care is a necessity in setting goals not a luxury

Year-in and year-out I see women around me throw themselves into their goals, only to exhaust themselves mentally and/or physically. Within weeks or months of setting their goals for the new year, they lose their passion and excitement and simply stop. What happened?

Simply put, they burn out. And then on top of their mental and physical fatigue, they feel like failures.

Look, we live in a world that says “go-go-go!”…and we women spend much of our time encouraging and supporting others. Just as it’s not possible to pour from a cup without refilling it, it’s also not possible for us to keep giving without recharging.

I know I’m not as productive when I go too long without taking some time to recharge my mind and body, and my guess is that you are no different than me.

Too many people view self-care as a luxury rather than a priority. Consequently, they feel overwhelmed, tired and unable to handle life’s stressors and challenges. How can we hope to achieve our goals if we completely exhaust ourselves helping everyone else accomplish theirs? Even if we love them and are happy to do it, we need to learn to be more strategic.

Through my own experience, I have learned that self-care is at the core of building resilience and staying focused. Self-care restores my energy and improves my mood so I can meet the goals I have set for myself. And I find that when I do take the time to take care of myself, I am more able to serve others, as well.

Every day I encourage the women I mentor to use this model.

The first step in this process is to set aside time to think about what fulfills you. How do you unwind? What activity gives you a feeling of being centered, relaxed or whole?

Where is your happy place?

Walking on the beach? Cooking in the kitchen? Working out at the gym? Spending time with your family? Curled up in a comfortable chair reading a book?

When you take the steps to care for your mind and body, you are better equipped to live your best life. Again, self-care is crucial because it gives you the energy to meet your goals successfully and better serve those around you.

One of the keys to accomplishing goals is pacing yourself. Create a list of your “Top 20 Goals” for the next five years. Your goals can be related to diet, exercise, work, family, a hobby, relationships, self-improvement or a home project.

After you have your goals in place, write out a plan for achieving them. Set aside an hour per week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but at the end of the year you will have devoted 52 hours towards meeting one goal. The results will surprise you!!!

Moms Making Six Figures supports women in a team-centered environment to help them meet their goals of developing their own businesses while maintaining flexibility. For more information visit www.momsmakingsixfigures.com.