In 2007, women are pioneers; venturing onto the battlefield and into the board room, officiating as heads of household and heads of nations, holding non-traditional roles and performing them in non-traditional ways.

Does your life feel like one long workday after another? Let me remind you that the most important part of your life is YOU! You are the sum of your parts, only one of which is work. Whether you are headed for burnout or are already there, 2007 is the time to decide to make your Self-Care a priority by putting yourself at the top of your “to do” list!

Let’s define EGO—as an often-unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one’s situation or achievements. The ego mind is so invested in the human drama –that it often takes a higher power to counterbalance the ego’s insistence. It helps to remember that the ego’s true target is you: your ego wants you to see guilt in others mainly so you might stay convinced of all the guilt in your self. Every time we blame another we are tightening the chains that keep our own self-hatred in place. Your ego issues don’t matter because of other people’s judgments of you; they matter because they are blocking you from self-care, joy and availability to all facets of your life.

Most of us have been trained to live from the neck up. Our culture values knowledge, quick thinking, and a good solid education. But living in your head keeps you disconnected from how you feel—the key to honoring your self-care. When you are out of touch with your feelings, several things can happen: o You make decisions that may not be in your best interest. o Your threshold for stress and anxiety increases and you find yourself “putting up” with stuff. You take on more and more without realizing that you’re on overload until it’s too late. You can usually recognize this pattern when you suffer from one cold or illness after another. It’s a signal of overwork and stress. The alarm doesn’t go off until it’s too late. o You miss out on the richness that our feeling state provides, that is the ability to really feel what you want in any given situation. Living in your head impacts your ability to be deeply touched by experiences---you feel somewhat numb. The connection between your head and your heart is essential to living well. Without it, you will end up sleepwalking through life.

One way to move beyond a work-centered life is to become aware of the other areas you may be neglecting. Life is made up of many facets, no one facet is more or less important than another. A meaningful life is one of balance. Self-care begins with taking small, certain steps. Direction is more important than speed. “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.” –Maya Angelou

Betty LaMarr is an Executive Coach for Nadisa Associates, a business and professional coaching company, a division of EmpowHer Institute. Nadisa Associates is coaching women to change the world through personal choices and leadership. For more information please email: betty@nadisa.com and check out the website at http://www.empowher.org.