A Packed Calendar Forced Me to Reflect on WHO I Want to Be

I talk so much about the importance of nutrition to our overall health, that I sometimes miss the importance of adequate REST to our health & well-being. In fact, I have been guilty lately of packing my calendar so full that I have no room for margin personally.  No room for rest. I have noticed it affects more than my physical well-being. It also affects my mental well-being.

I am so thankful this year for wonderful opportunities that have come my way. Opportunities to speak at conferences & staff trainings, opportunities to conduct community plant-based cooking classes in numerous locations, the opportunity to teach a  series of kids cooking classes, and do TV & Radio interviews and on and on. It has been a busy year so far to say the least and I've traveled A LOT! I am SO thankful for all the invitations. I’ve had a blast.

I generally have a lot of energy due to my healthy eating habits. I rarely get sick, and my mind is always thinking of the next opportunity, the next connection, and the next door to open. This business has lit a fire under my butt, and I want to see it grow and impact thousands of people. But not to the detriment of my health. I have lacked margin in my schedule. Busyness does not equal success!

I decided to make a change moving forward. It wasn’t my idea. It was my business coach’s idea. She challenged me to think differently. As we work to make my business grow and to impact more people, she challenged me to think first about who I wanted to be. Not WHAT I wanted to be, but WHO I wanted to be. A good way to figure this out, is to think about your funeral & how you want to be remembered. I remember this principle from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but I haven’t applied it for a while.

Hmmm….how do I want to be remembered? I want everyone to remember that I loved God & I reflected Him well. I want my family and friends to remember how much I loved them. I want others to remember that I impacted their life in very practical and positive ways & it changed the course of their life. I want to be a healthy person that has a good quality of life even in my latter days.

My coach was trying to get me to see what I wanted MY LIFE to look like, before I figure out what I wanted MY BUSINESS to look like. What a genius idea. Build your work around your life, instead of your life around your work. Again, I’ve read this and heard it for years but haven’t applied it for a while.

So, now, as I plan for 2025, I want to allow margin to nurture relationships and margin to take care of myself. Rest is essential, not negotiable. Relationships are the priority. They don’t stay strong, if we don’t nurture them. And how will we influence others, if we have not built trusting relationships with them first?

My husband and I were cleaning off the garden this week. The garden produced so much goodness for us this year, but now it’s dead. The garden will rest through the winter & next spring be ready for another season. All of nature rests. What makes me think I can NOT REST & still be productive. I can’t. I need rest for my body, by mind and my soul.

So, 2025 will look different for me. I will still be trying to reach people…..thousands of people…with the message of nutrition for better health. But I will build my schedule differently. I will allow margin for family and for rest and for quiet. I plan to build my business around my life & I think it will be the best year yet for my business. I anticipate it will grow by leaps and bounds.

How about you? Do you need to create margin in your life? Can you begin to build your work around your life, instead of your life around your work? Does your life presently reflect your true values? How do you want people to remember you some day? Are you THAT person? If not, why?

Life is short. Let’s be VERY intentional.