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?

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?

Raise your hand if this thought has ever crossed your mind:

“Am I lazy?”

Because I’m not afraid to admit that it has definitely crossed mine. You see, I’m not internally motivated. I’m not one to set gym goals and achieve them on my own. I can’t promise myself to do something and always expect to keep that promise. But it doesn’t mean I’m lazy. In fact, thanks to Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies, I know now it just means I’m an Obliger.

It’s time to say something absolutely radical: You should run your business (and your life) based off your feelings.

The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte breaks that all down. Instead of focusing on building a life that we think is what we’re supposed to be doing, it urges us to follow our inner truth to decide what direction to move forward in — both in our personal and professional lives. LaPorte moves through issues such as fear, rejection, marketing, hard work, money, and criticism to help us build a future that we feel excited for.

Just over a year ago, I was at one of the lowest points I've experienced in my life. I was living a life where I was unhappy every day, and now I look forward to what my days will bring. 

We've all seen the lists of 40+ ways to take care of yourself in the moment. They're extensive, but usually only short-lived ideas like taking a bath or buying flowers. Here's my list of top long-lasting ways to take care of yourself

Self care is a topic I'm passionate about. It's something that I devote a significant part of my business and platforms to speaking on, and it definitely is a concept that needs to become more prominent in today's world. Very rarely does our culture, our corporate structure, or our personal lives put any importance on building a life of balance. But it's so, so necessary! These three rules are how I keep myself in check -- try them in your life, too!

Let's take a moment to channel Simon Sinek. When running your business, it's most important to let your purpose and your "why" rule above all else. It's a concept we've all heard time and time again, but it really isn't a practice most companies (and people) actually act on. In a way, this is one of the most frustrating things to witness as someone who is building an entire business around their purpose, and making sure it's one that represents all parts of who I am as well.