I don’t know about you but I usually feel like if I don’t do something myself, it probably won’t get done. About a lot of stuff that might be true. Work/school, keeping up with family and friends, making sure bills are paid time, etc. But where does it all end? The truth is, it doesn’t.
And money. How much is “enough” to be able to afford to take time off?
The fourth anniversary of my private practice is coming up in October. I tell you that not to brag but to humbly share, after all you are why I’m here and how I have been able to live this dream. At the end of last year (2015), I was tired, stressed, sad and disappointed. I was so grateful for my business but so run down by it, I wasn’t enjoying much. I promised myself that 2016 and all the years after would be different. Vowing to make self-care an actual priority, not just a theoretical one, I made a list of promises.
- Take control of my scheduled. I had allowed my schedule to rule my life instead of the other way around. This is over, in February I found a groove that has been working and I plan to stick to it until it doesn’t.
- Take three weeks off this year! This one was scary but I realized that is shamefully low as it is. (Next week I leave for my second week of the year and I could not be more excited.)
- Read more fiction. This year I declared that I would read more fiction, just because it’s fun! And I have.
- Take better care of my body by eating more healthy and moving around more. Cooking has become a much more regular and natural part of my life; I still have a lot of room for improvement in the gym…. Mostly I need to go more.
Why do you care about my goals?
I tell you about my personal battle with time off because I don’t think I’m alone in it at all!! I know that I represent the rule instead of the exception. We ALL deserve and NEED time off in order to be better at school/work, friends and family and whatever else we do that gets us out of bed each day.
If we aren’t giving our best to our lives, what is the point? If I can’t give my best at work, did I really help anyone? If I am phoning it in with my family, will they really feel like I love them and love being part of their lives?
I guess the real question becomes, can you afford NOT to take some time off? For me that answer is no and I hope you really think about your answer.