Happy 2024!

January has been a heck of a start already, has it not? My goodness. As we kick off this next year, I’m so happy to reconnect with you in this way. It’s no secret that self-compassion practices are one of my favorite tools for resilience and sustainable leadership. In the face of tremendous external pressure, so many of us struggle with an even harsher stressor: our inner critic (or as I’ve been wont to call it, “the shitty committee”).

Lately, I have been introducing clients to a tangible manifestation of self-compassion practice, called self-inclusion. While many leaders are adept at examining who matters in their professional environments through traditional stakeholder management, most often these high-striving individuals forget who they must tend to most closely - themselves.

When we add ourselves to our intentional reflection on how to closely satisfy, feed, and cultivate healthy relationships with those who influence our lives and work, we can finally find the recipe for much greater impact, real fulfillment, and yes, joy!

Some ways I’ve personally been working to include myself as a stakeholder lately that reflect my values of presence, love, authentic self-expression, excellence, curiosity, and service:

• Get curious about my motivations, needs and fears - and be willing to both honor and challenge them
• Consistently prioritizing alone time for journaling, exercise, rest, and creative thinking (if it’s not in the calendar, it’s not going to happen!)
• Limit habits that impact my clarity and peace, like doom scrolling and late nights
• Adding in habits that support my peace, like nature hikes with my pup, play time with my kiddos, 20-minute Peloton sessions, mindful stretching, and quiet drives
• Being honest about my “no’s” - what works for me and what doesn’t, protecting my boundaries to ensure healthy connections over unconscious patterning
• Filling my cup with genuine, present, heart-to-heart time with my people (keep the real ones close, y’all)

So, my friend, how might you include yourself in your mindful management of who matters most in your work/life? What can that look like day to day, in your habits and routines? What support might you need to bring this self-inclusion to life?

May you find new ways this year to grant yourself nourishment, intentionality, and grace. We got this.

To Your Wholeness,
Erin