Don’t Cancel an Appointment With Yourself
“I don’t care if you’re 5 or 105, God, from all eternity, chose you to be where you are, at this time in history, to change the world” (Mother Angelica).
The Call to Create
Committing to personal time gives us the creative energy we need to excel in everything we choose to be and do. We need this time to enjoy life and fill ourselves up so we can serve better. But, most of us don’t commit to personal time.
Let’s put aside the fact that some of you may be thinking you don’t have time or you’re not even sure what you’d do with some personal time. Let’s talk about creative energy first. (No, I’m definitely not talking about busting out crystals and going down the “woo-woo” hole.)
Creative energy isn’t about consuming. We were born to create, but our culture is all about consuming. And, no matter your season or state in life, you’re being called upon to create when you’re probably feeling consumed by All. The. Things. It may be a meal for your family or a new offering for your business, but you are called to create.
Finding the Time
Most of my clients don’t set aside enough personal time to allow them to create. (I used to be lacking in this area, and I still need reminders.) How can you create when you don’t have anything to draw from? How do you fill yourself up?
I always encourage my clients to think of three activities they can draw from when they need a refill. My three are reading in a quiet, comfy spot; sipping tea or espresso at my favorite cafe; and going for a walk. Try finding three for yourself. They should be simple, accessible, and, ideally, free. Then, make an appointment with yourself in your planner and do them! This is how you refresh yourself. It’s not rocket science, but it does take some practice to honor an appointment with yourself.
Lately, I’ve been taking the time to reignite my creative spark—partly because I feel called to and partly because it’s fun and I love it! I'm relaunching a passion project that I’ve been working on for years but that has been dormant for a while. It’s so easy to forget what makes us feel good in mind, body, and spirit when we get stuck in the loop of who needs what and when.
I encourage you to reflect and remind yourself of how well you serve and how good you feel when you commit to that appointment with yourself. Be the best you can be, because you are a gift from God to the world. He wants you to keep that appointment with yourself, because you’re a part of his plan.
Liz Montigny is a licensed Ziglar Life Coach for Catholic working moms who want to drop the hustle for hope so they can truly live their dreams. She lives with her husband and their three boys in Massachusetts where she homeschools, likes to relax with a cup of tea, and enjoys talking about non-toxic living and building her theatre ministry. You can connect with her at lizmontignycoaching.com.