And I want to be clear: While self care plays into balance, that isn’t the entire story. When I talk about balance, I mean building a life that you enjoy, that you don’t need to escape from. Where your day-to-day is aligned with who you are more than who you aren’t. Where enjoying a stiff drink after work or winding down with a hot bath aren’t the way you hide from the rest of your day. But how do you do it?

Whether it’s in a podcast interview, conversation with a colleague, or when meeting a new client, one of the top questions I get asked is “How did I get started coaching?” I’d like to share that story with you.

Zodiac signs, Enneagram, Myers-Briggs (or 16 Personalities), The Four Tendencies … the list goes on.

As a culture, we’re currently wrapped up in the idea of understanding ourselves. Of figuring out how our brains work, why we make decisions the way we do, how our personalities are formed. And it’s interesting! But why do we do it? Why are we so preoccupied with the idea of categorizing our personalities?

Finding time to be mindful in our day-to-day lives is already important, but we often forget that it's even more essential to do it right before closing our eyes for the night. You hear experts talk about living in the moment, practicing meditation when you wake up, and enjoying an hour of yoga each day. But no one focuses on the fact that we should be getting at least an hour of peace before bed -- to get in the right headspace for a good night's sleep, to prepare ourselves for the next day, and to reflect on what happened in the hours previously.

There are many times in our lives where we feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities (or perceived responsibilities!), whether it's in regards to relationships with other people, outer expectations in work and life, or the way that we view ourselves. One of the best ways to prepare for when these situations arise is to lay out our boundaries clearly and explicitly.