The Client I Dropped (Was Me)

A reminder that your work deserves your best support, including when it’s yours.

Have you ever noticed how the people who do the most for others often give themselves the least structure, the least support, the least grace?

Years ago, a mentor told me, “Take yourself on as a client.”

And I did. Kind of.

But somewhere in the middle, I quietly dropped myself.

Here's the thing: I know what I bring to the table and what happens when I give something my full attention. I know what it's like to work with me.

So why was I putting less energy into myself than I did for anyone else?

This isn’t about working harder on myself. It’s about working fairly with myself.

I’m sharing my non-negotiables below: the rules I actually intend to follow. I hope they inspire you to think about some of your own.

Christine’s Non-Negotiables

• I don’t break commitments to myself without naming it out loud.

• I don’t explain or defend my “no.”

• I don’t stay in rooms (real or metaphorical) where I have to shrink, over-perform, or carry the emotional labor for everyone else.

• I allow myself to explore new ideas, but not as a distraction from my core work.

• I trust that good ideas don’t disappear. I don’t have to chase them all at once.

These are mine. Yours may look very different. But no one else can prioritize your vision for you. That’s your job. Treat it like one.

YoFi Film Festival 2023 (Yonkers, NY)