[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own].

How often do you make yourself a priority?

We work hard all day to accomplish our goals. We start each day with a to-do list of tasks that we want to complete. We put our needs secondary because that’s who we’ll become a better person. However, not making yourself a priority is keeping you from getting things done. And that’s not how I want to live my life.

The reality is, that sometimes you’re giving more of yourself to others than you are giving to your vision of the future. By not making yourself a priority, your goals have become secondary. It’s not selfish or wrong to make yourself a priority, but it’s a necessity. There’s a significant difference between being selfish and being self-centered.

You need to prioritize yourself if you want to love yourself more. This also means you provide a perfect balance in your life that allows you to give as much to yourself as you do to other people. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being selfless or compassionate, but there should be a proper balance.

Why do you need to make yourself a priority?

• You need to focus on your goals: You need energy and mental clarity to wake up every day and work hard. By making yourself a priority, you can stay focused on your goals and see the path to accomplishment. Many people aren’t accomplishing their goals because they get lost in taking care of others.
• Builds boundaries you should set and keep: Human nature tends to lean towards people-pleasing—when you focus on pleasing others, you don’t please yourself. Use self-prioritization to clarify what boundaries need to be set and make sure you hold these boundaries firmly.
• Let go of outside expectations: This is your life, and you have to live in the best way that you see fit. It’s important for you to spend the precious moments you have working on your goals and the things that help you live a better life. No longer are you walking around with the burden of what others expect from you, it’s time to spend your time the way you’d like to. Other people’s expectations of your life don’t have to be part of your plan.

Steps To Make Yourself A Priority

Indulge in yourself

Indulge in yourself when you can and don’t make excuses for having time for yourself. You need to set adequate time to breathe easily and escape stress. Eating out, vacationing, or having a short trip are fun ways to feel happy. They’re also ways to reward yourself for good work.

What is one way you can reward yourself that will be extra special? Ask yourself if you’re taking time to yourself. If you are, you’ll know you’re recharging your batteries. Create a memorable moment for hard work done. Then remind yourself that hard work pays off and make yourself a priority.

Stop feeling guilty

You get used to prioritizing others when it’s time to do the same for yourself, guilt is the normal reaction. Change your mindset and embrace it instead. You will feel a great burden being lifted from your shoulders. If you’re constantly beating yourself up, expect to put others first. It comes down to you believing you might deserve less when in reality, you deserve better.

Practice saying no

It’s important to pay attention to your own needs before others. By neglecting your own needs, you’re missing out on so much joy and happiness in your own life. One of the best ways to make yourself a priority is to learn the power of saying no.

Taking a little bit of time is not selfish but healthy and good for you. It’s also an excellent example if you’re working two jobs or freelancing. As a freelance translator and a content writer, I work with many clients and tight demands. I learn to say no and take fewer document translation projects when I want to focus on growing my blog so I can balance both of them.

Love your imperfections

No one is perfect. This might sound cliche, but it’s really necessary to love your imperfections. Sure doing things perfectly sometimes turn out pretty great. But sometimes they don’t. I try to get things done so I can free up some more time for fun.

There are going to be tasks that I work harder on, but I think perfection on almost anything is impossible. It goes the same when I translate a document from a client, I do want to give my best and send a perfect result. However, getting things done is better because as a busy person, I have a lot of things on my plate, and it can be hard to admit that there just isn’t enough time. That’s why I focus on getting things done, not perfect.

Surround yourself with encouragement

Talking from experience, you must surround yourself with people who motivate and encourage you that it’s okay to put yourself first. You have to realize that being happy, healthy, and treating yourself the way you deserve has to start with you first. Be with people who don’t drain you, but fill you up with light and energy.

The thing is that I see too many women not make themselves a priority and it costs them their health, happiness, and success. You’re important and you can do great things. You have to realize your worth.

Make time each day for things you love

We all have interests and hobbies. I know so many people who are so busy all the time, work so hard, and never make time for things that they love to do. You only get one chance at life and although I know that there are lots of things we have to do. To me, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t get to do things that we love to do.

It doesn’t have to be a lot of time. Just taking 30 minutes for yourself can leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. Since you probably can’t take an extended time away from your responsibilities, set a goal to spend 30 minutes on yourself a couple of times a week. For happiness. For fun. For laughs or to learn something. True happiness is part of putting yourself first.

Setting boundaries with people in your life

I’ve written about this topic before. Check out my post on setting healthy boundaries here. I think that when we don’t set limits on our time and what is acceptable to us. It shows that we undervalue how important we are. If you work hard and are a kind person which I think most of us are then we deserve to be respected and have people value our time and what matters to us.

It’s time to make yourself a priority. It’s time to take better care of yourself before you think about others. Self-prioritization means that you decide where your boundaries will be set. It’s time to take a dedicated period of time to put yourself first. You can always help others and be there for those who need you while making yourself a priority.

Whether your self-improvement goals are changing by the day, or stern and steadfast, putting your needs, goals, and priorities ahead of others is a challenge you’ll have to accept if you want to live your best and most happy life.