A couple of months back during the height of my burnout, 2 clients remarked:
‘’Alan, you’re too nice and overly accommodating.’’
And it wasn’t a coincidence that both of them said the same thing within the same week.
One of them, a long-term client who’s been working with me for well over 3 years, said as she was walking out the door:
“On your deathbed Alan, you’re not going to turn around and say you regret not taking on that extra client 30 years ago”.
And that hit home and got me thinking:
Why Do I Feel Selfish to Say No?
See...
I don’t look at myself as a ‘good Samaritan who’s trying to save the world’.
That’s too much of a burden to carry.
Plus I’m a flawed human being.
So living up to that ‘perfect goody-goody’ ideal would be a challenge.
However, I do recognise the life-changing (and potentially life-saving) effects that exercise can have on someone.
And my passion for it can sometimes be my biggest downfall.
So for the latter half of last year,..
.. I bent over backwards to help my clients.
So much so that their exercise, nutrition and time came before my own.
And while this helped many, towards the end of last year, I was so burned out that I couldn’t give all of my clients what they needed and deserved.
Along with the people in my personal life.
Luckily they all were understanding and supportive.
But the reason why I’m sharing all of this with you is because maybe, you too, want to do your best for others, but got sucked into the same trap of putting yourself last and getting burned out as a result.
Then wondering 'why do I feel selfish to say no?'.
And if I’m correct, let me ask you a question:
“Are others currently getting the best of you?”.
If the answer is no, then consider this:
Sometimes being overly selfless can turn into its opposite: selfishness.
Why?
Because it eventually sucks the energy right out of you, and those closest to us have to suffer the consequences of it.
To be and give our best, sometimes we have to become a little bit ‘selfish’ and work on filling up ‘our cups’.
And hopefully, this blog post has provided you with the kick you may need to start doing that.
If you need more than a kick - a kickstart from a Coach who will understand, support and encourage you to do and be better, first and foremost for yourself, then check this out: https://www.mindbodytraining.ie/mindbodychallenge
Anyways..
Chat soon,
Coach Alan