There are 2 kinds of people:

1. Those who fill their gas tank when the fuel low indicator turns on or they notice the line is close to the E,
2. And those who wait until their tank is running on fumes.

Which one are you?

I have to admit I’ve always been the option b girl. It’s not that I want to run out of gas or push my car to its limits. It’s just that I prioritize other things until filling up my tank becomes a necessity.

Last Tuesday I was on my way home after picking up my son from rehearsal when I noticed my fuel gage showed a quarter tank left of gas.

“I should put gas now,” I thought to myself.

The next thoughts quickly became excuses to avoid completing doing the thing.

Orly is tired and hungry from a long day.

I’ve been driving for over an hour.

I need to get ready for my last coaching session this evening.

A quarter tank is plenty of gas.

I can fill it tomorrow. 

The excuses won. I drove straight home.

That would have been no problem had I gone straight to the gas station the next morning, but once I allowed my brain to affirm I had enough gas, I forgot about it.

The next day, I drove Orly to school, which is over 8 miles from my home. I returned home, picked up the other boys, took them to school, and continued about my day. I didn’t realize how quickly my car consumes a quarter tank of gas.

Before I knew it, it was 5:45 pm and my little guy and his friends had to be at football practice in 15 minutes. I rushed to get all the kids in the car, calling out the gear they couldn’t forget: “mouthpieces, water bottles, cleats, flags… let’s go, hurry!”

And then it happened.

I glanced at the gas tank and the line was below the E. The window to negotiate or procrastinate on putting gas had closed.

Now it was urgent.

Lower the window. Turn off the air. Pray I make it to the gas station with no red lights. Damn, traffic is bad. Ugh, Ryan is late to practice. 

I regretted not listening to my instinct the day before.

That’s when I had the revelation.

I don’t like this — being late to practices or meetings; afraid of running out of gas with a car full of kids; having no control.

Rather than making this task a priority at my convenience, I have created a habit of letting the task force itself into my priority list, which is never convenient!

How you do one thing …

They say how you do anything is how you do everything. I don’t agree with this completely, but I think how you do one thing is how you do a lot of things.

In my case, how I handle the gas tank in my car is how I handle a lot of tasks and projects in my life. It’s what my friends lovingly call “fire drills.”

I procrastinate on things I don’t want to deal with until the house is burning down, and then I call a fire drill. Then everyone suffers until we can put the fire out.

Sounds dramatic, but it’s true.

I’ve decided I don’t want a fire-drill identity anymore. It’s not serving me well. I am, however, very proactive in other aspects of my life, such as how I handle my health and relationships.

It’s time I approach certain tasks and projects the way I approach other, more important, areas of my life.

What about your gas tank?

I’ve noticed many people have the opposite problem.

They are great about their to-dos but ignore their health until it’s too late. They focus on their businesses or careers, but fail to carve out time with the people they love the most.

Rather than filling up their personal gas tank, they wait until they’re running on fumes.

Have you filled up your personal gas tank recently?

Stepping into new identities

No matter how engrained your habits are, you can decide to step into a new identity.

You can change your eating habits. You can become someone who exercises. You can have the difficult conversations before the relationship implodes. You can respect your instinct rather than let excuses win the day.

It will require mindset shifts and habit tweaks. You may be able to use the tools you already have in your toolbox, or  you may need to acquire some new tools — but I promise you, it can be done.

If you know it’s time to fill up your personal gas tank — and you need some support with your mindset, wellness journey, or relationships, I can help. Click here to schedule a free consult with me and let’s have a meaningful conversation about how you’re going to show up for your life from now on.