In the last week alone I’ve done the following:

> Consistently eaten far more sugar than what feels good to my body
> Procrastinated and rationalized my way out of yoga class three times
> Found it mind-numbingly exhausting to empty my dishwasher
> Stayed up past midnight a handful of times
> Watched an obscene amount of reality TV

What’s my point in sharing all of this with you?

> I want you to know that while I am committed to walking my talk, I slip up and get off track too.
> I want you to know that you are not alone in your struggle of ‘getting yourself to do what you know you should do’.
> And mostly, I want you to know that I am walking the same path toward self-care and self-acceptance with you.

How we spend our time, the rituals we create in our life, and our journey toward a more organized and peaceful existence is fundamentally about owning our truth and accepting who we are.

It isn’t an easy journey – this path toward acceptance and love. Diving into our own truth takes courage. We have to be vulnerable. We have to stretch beyond comfort and live with uncertainty.

But there is one very critical element that has softened and expanded the experience for me – and transformed my ability to persevere when I get off track. It has given me the space and permission to not only stay the course, but to actually enjoy the process and be more patient with myself.

It is this:

To not withhold love from myself when I fall short of my own expectations. To offer myself warm-hearted appreciation and compassion for exactly where I am on my journey. To allow this moment to be as it is.

And this compassion has allowed me in the last week to:

> Shift from black tea back down to green tea
> Stick to a mini-detox using apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and baking soda
> Finish a great book on healing modalities and start another
> Move 3 ‘extra’ projects off my list that feel amazing to have completed

If I kept my focus on what I was doing “wrong” I leave no room to recognize – or create – my successes.

There is a general concern that when we love ourselves for falling down, we will just fall down more. I have found that the opposite is true.

Give it a whirl and see for yourself.

Author's Bio: 

Julie Gray, COC®, Time Saver Specialist, is passionate about teaching entrepreneurs and business leaders a unique approach to aligning their work and life in a way that eliminates overwhelm, frees them to focus on the present moment, and keeps them centered and connected on their journey.

Julie draws on practical time-management principles as well as brain research, energy-clearing modalities, and body-centered mindful awareness to create both internal and external shifts that speed up the habit formation process and skyrocket your productivity.

Julie’s specialty is working with individuals who have tried many different organizing systems that haven’t lasted. Providing a deeper layer of support, Julie has the unique ability to get to the heart of what you need in order for your systems to stick.