If I’m honest, the things that most often stay untouched on my to-do list are the ones that are personal to me.
For years it was so easy to kick the can on anything that didn’t feel urgent. Work deadlines? Never missed. Commitments to others? Done with precision and pride. But the things that only affected me?
Doctor’s appointment? I’m not dying.
Dentist cleaning? It can wait a few more months.
Eye test? I can still see well enough.
Gynecologist visit? Is it really necessary this year?
Somehow, my own care always found itself at the bottom of the pile.
I used to tell myself it was efficiency – that I was prioritizing what “mattered most.” The truth is, I was simply conditioned to believe that my needs could wait. That personal maintenance was optional while professional performance was mandatory.
What I’ve learned, slowly and sometimes the hard way, is that ignoring yourself isn’t discipline – it’s neglect disguised as dedication.
These days I’m trying to rewrite that habit. To treat the appointments that keep me well with the same seriousness I give a board meeting. To see self-care not as indulgent, but as responsible. To remember that the life I’m building only works if I’m healthy enough to live it.
So the answer to the prompt?
The thing that never gets done is “me” – unless I choose, deliberately, to move myself to the top of the list.
And I’m finally learning to do that.
Sarala Life — Life in Chapters: Careers, Canines, Cabernet & Courage 
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