See the Truck Before the Crash: Honoring Your Needs to Avoid Burnout
“I didn’t even see the truck.”
I can’t get that sentence out of my head.
I was at a women’s networking event last month where we discussed the ever-elusive holy grail of “work-life balance” and the importance of self-care. The woman facilitating the conversation shared this story:
She was driving home from work after an incredibly long day. She turned onto her street, and WHAM! She rear-ended a UPS delivery truck that was stopped (with flashers on) while the driver delivered packages.
(Thankfully, no one was injured.)
She admitted to us: “Yes, it was dark, but it was a big DELIVERY TRUCK. I didn’t even see it.”
She had been thinking about her day, about her clients, about that vexing issue with one of her staff members, about the long to-do list she needed to tackle once she walked in the door. And although her eyes were technically open, she wasn’t really seeing.
How many of us can relate?
It’s easy to get caught up in the mental whirlwind, moving from one thing to the next, unaware of the signals our minds and bodies are sending us.
Collision Prevention: Why Honoring Your Needs Matters
Yes, her comment struck me because it was so dramatic.
But it has stayed with me because we’ve all been there. We move through our days on auto-pilot, tending to the urgent issues, exhausted by a bottomless to-do list, and we fail to see the flashing lights of our own needs and values… until we crash.
You’ve heard of – and maybe even taken – a safe driving course? Think of this blog as a “safe living” tutorial. I believe that most “crashes” in our personal life can be avoided – if we learn to see, acknowledge, and honor our core needs and values.
Just like delivery trucks out on the roads and in our neighborhoods, our needs and values are always around. Yet they can be easy to ignore or overlook – until they are blocking our path or slowing us down. Rather than collide with them, you’ll find a safer option in learning to recognize them and yield to them.
Learning to identify and tend to your needs and values takes a bit of time and practice, but it’s a much easier task than picking up the pieces of your life after you’ve collided with unmet needs and unexpressed values.
And it’s not just about avoiding the crash; it’s really about creating a life that flows more smoothly. Recognizing and yielding to your needs and values is the key to living with greater joy, peace, and freedom.
Tracey’s Story: A Wake-Up Call to Prioritize Yourself
While the name has been changed, her story is oh-too-real.
When we first met, Tracey described herself as “addicted to helping people.” She is the director of a human service non-profit, active in her community, and is a single mom of two teenage kids. She’s kind and generous, but it takes a toll. She’d struggled with burnout in the past, and she acknowledged that she was dangerously close to being swallowed up again.
Tracey knew her pattern was to prioritize everyone else’s needs before her own. She admitted that self-care was foreign to her. Luckily, she “saw the truck” and recognized that this wasn’t a sustainable and healthy way for her to live,
Within one month of the Real Life Refresh program, she was able to identify and start tending to her own needs. She blocked off some time just for herself, allowing her to recharge. She recognized that not every issue at work was urgent and didn’t require her to drop everything. She even shifted her usual weekend routine, giving herself a full day at home on Sundays to rest and reconnect. These small but intentional changes gave her the clarity and energy to show up better for herself and those she serves.
Tracey summed up her profound insight in this simple phrase: “I matter.”
Five Tips to Recognize and Care for Your Needs and Values
When it comes to identifying your needs and values, here are a few tips to get you started:
Take Inventory: Set aside some quiet time to reflect on what feels “off” in your life right now. What are you craving? What’s missing? Just as those delivery trucks have flashing warning lights, our unmet needs often leave clues like irritability, exhaustion, or even a sense of restlessness.
Look for Patterns: Think about times you’ve felt deeply fulfilled or profoundly frustrated. What was happening? These moments often highlight your most important values. If you struggle to remember those times, try keeping a weekly journal where you note the moments of fulfillment and frustration from the past week. After a few weeks, start to notice the patterns.
Ask Yourself Questions: Journaling can help you gain clarity. Try questions like:
What’s something I’m tolerating that I don’t have to?
What’s one small thing I could do this week to feel more at peace?
When do I feel most like myself?Start Small: You don’t need to overhaul your entire life to see a difference. Begin by honoring one need or value in a small, tangible way. For example, if you value connection, schedule coffee with a friend. If you need rest, give yourself permission to take a nap.
Practice Compassion: Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s okay to stumble. Be kind to yourself as you practice listening to and honoring your needs. It often takes a bit of experimentation for us to discover the ways that we can best acknowledge our needs and values. Remind yourself that practicing is better than perfect.
Your Next Step: Assess Your Needs and Values
If this resonates with you, I invite you to download my free Needs and Values Assessment. It’s a simple – but powerful - tool to help you clarify what’s most important to you and take the first steps toward a life that feels more balanced and aligned.
And if you’re ready to go deeper (like Tracey was), Real Life Refresh is your chance to do just that. I’m offering a special early-bird discount for those who already know they see warning lights up ahead. To access this discount, schedule a chat with me before January 31. Imagine starting this year with greater clarity, more energy, and the confidence to prioritize what truly matters.
It’s time to see the truck… and avoid the crash.
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