Dec 9- The Plank

The Plank: It has been said that you must learn to take care of yourself before you can be effective at taking care of others.  How did you take care of yourself in 2012?  How will you take care of yourself in 2013?

This is a big topic for me. I am not very good at taking care of myself, or putting myself first. Part of the reason I tend towards helping others is so I can ignore myself. 

Even now I don't want to write this out. This year I have been working on doing things for myself, that put me first. I made a decision to only buy shoes that fit and that are well made and good for my feet. 

I took a job that is going to be better for me than what I had, even if it meant I was viewed as "letting the team down". 

I am trying not to spend money on junky, cheap things but to save up and buy a quality item. 

I am trying to watch what I put into and on my body. I am working on reducing the chemicals that we use in the house for cleaning, in our personal products and in our food. 

See what I just did there? I started in on the we's, I had a paragraph going that was all we this and we that. But this post is about ME, stay on topic! 

Next year I am going to continue working on taking care of myself. I want to have kids soon, but before that happens I need to make sure I have a strong self built up. I want to be able to teach my sons and daughters that self care is a valid investment, it's not a chore. And that means I have to look at it as a valid investment first. 

So, I'm going to learn how to blow dry my hair. This might seem kind of ridiculous, but it's a  big one for me. I'm not all that keen on my hair, and I tend to ignore it, I don't style it or get it cut very often.  It just is. But this year I am going to learn how to use a freaking hair dryer and have nice looking hair. I'm going to get my hair cut every four months (also something hard for me- I can go years between cuts).

I am also going to research natural make up, so that what I am putting on my face isn't harming me. 

I am going to work on my weight. I know we're all not allowed to go on about our weight and being fat, but the fact is I am fat. It doesn't mean that fat is who I am, it doesn't necessarily define me as a person or my deeds. But it's there, and it's more there this year than ever.  

I will never be skinny, sometimes I think that and I feel released from the pressure. And sometimes I think that and I feel so sad and horrified that I will never get to experience thinness. But I can be healthier and I know I can make changes that I can stick to. 

All of these investments into myself will, I hope, also help me keep better boundaries around the help I can give others and ensure I serve myself first.