what do I need to do for ME today?

Does that make me sound a little selfish?
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Instead I should wake up, jump out of bed, and write in my journal, “what do I need to do for every-other-person-in-the-world-but-me today?” If I wrote that then I would be an excellent mother? An excellent wife. An excellent daughter. I disagree!
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In March of 2018 I stopped making lists for everyone else and started making one for ME. I started waking up early and asking myself this question, “what do I need to do for me today?”
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My list was basic at the time: brush teeth, wash hair, drink water, do yoga, eat good food, go to bed early.⠀
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Of course I would still keep up with my other obligations, but I added in mandatory things I HAD to do for ME. I’d cross them off as I went and when my head hit the pillow I’d think, “good job Tiffani, you took care of yourself today.”
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Slowly, the items on my list became new habits, and I didn’t need to write them down anymore. Washing my hair wasn’t a stretch of my time, it was who I was. Clean hair, clean teeth, and hydrated.
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Now I had space in my life to write bigger things down such as spend time with friends, write for an hour on my novel, connect with my husband, volunteer to help women, or have one on one time with my kids.
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I learned one day at a time how to become the best version of myself by intentionally showing up for myself every single morning.
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The most beautiful part is this — the more I poured into ME, the more I could pour into those I love and I could do it without sacrificing myself in the process. I became the wife, mom, and daughter I’ve always dreamed of being by putting myself first.
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You are not selfish for taking care of your needs. The mom guilt HAS TO END. We deserve self care. Demand it and make it priority. Start small and cross off your list. When we can take care of ourselves, we can take care of the world. Love you friends. ❤️