Not too long ago I decided that I would take a couple of days off for myself each month. I claimed several Friday’s as a "Just for me day." Admittedly this has not been easy for me to do.

Even though I work for myself and schedule my clients in a way that fits my personal and family schedule I still experience the pressure (and desire!) to perform and create certain level of income. And fact I remember talking to one of my girlfriends several months ago about taking time off. I confided with her, "There is no way I could take ever take an entire day off for myself. It’s just not possible with the number of clients I have, my business obligations, family obligations and taking care of my son. And I just wouldn’t feel right paying for a nanny while I went out and played!"

But I had to get really honest with myself. My excuse to not take time off for "just me" had ALWAYS been that I was too busy and had too much to do – long before I ever became a mom! However, I realized if I don’t do this now when will I ever do it? There would never be a perfect time. I finally took the plunge, accessed my online calendar and earmarked several Friday’s each month as "Just For Me Days".

While the act of marking time off on my calendar made a huge difference for me – it’s another thing entirely to follow through on ones intentions! I found that if I hadn’t planned my work schedule to support me in taking Fridays off, inevitably there would be important things to attend to that vied for my attention that I felt like I couldn’t neglect.

The bottom line was: in order for me to take Fridays off I had to really, truly intend for it to happen. I had to live the entire week from the place of, "I am going to complete these tasks, because I am taking this Friday off." So I had to live and be, "Fridays really are my "Just for me days." And I’m committed to ensuring that happens!

Life seems to stand still

When my "Just for me Day" arrives I experience a sense of life standing still. I’ve noticed how common it is for people to talk about how busy their lives are and how rapidly life speeds by. But I am convinced that it occurs this way for us because we are speeding through our own life.

I’ve noticed that when I take time off for myself that life seems to slow down. Often I wake up on Fridays feeling like I’ve just been gifted a brand new life. And I realize just how foreign the feeling is to me to have an entire day ahead of me without any plans in it – I experience an inner sense of relief and freedom. During my "Just for me Days" I choose to do nothing that I HAVE to do. I don’t go grocery shopping, I don’t exercise (if I don’t want to), I don’t run errands or clean the house!

Sometimes I feel a little intimidated. I’m so used to having my days filled to the brim that I feel a little naked, exposed and vulnerable. To be quite honest there are times when I think, "What am I suppose to do with all my extra time today?" All I have to do is get quiet for a few moments and always an idea presents itself to me.

I’ve had inspirations to go on long leisurely walks, go to antique stores, go to the local hot springs, find a quiet place to journal, escape to a coffee shop or peruse a local bookstore. And during the cold winter months I’ve been inspired to cozy up by the woodstove with a cup of tea and just stare out the window or read a good book. Sometimes I feel inspired to sleep in, or go for a walk down town – it doesn’t have to be anything fancy or impressive.

Inevitably it’s usually something simple. I’m always amazed at how refreshed I feel at the end of my day. It gives me renewed energy and strength for my workweek and it prevents resentment from building up. I believe that a living prosperous financial life starts with BEING prosperous and experiencing prosperity right now in the here and now, which results in creating and living the prosperous life that so many of us so desperately yearn for.