Learning How to Put Myself First

Ally is an adventure guru who has faced many challenges in her day to day life that I know many of us can relate to. In addition to that, she loves to help others but learned a big lesson while doing so. She is so brave for being so vulnerable and I can’t thank her enough for sharing! Read our Q+A down below. You can follow her journey on Instagram @viibewithalia!

Where do you like to go on your day off?

On my days off I love spending any time I can outside. Working full time and having two jobs can take a lot of my daily activities away, so whenever I get the chance I love to just be outside and enjoy nature. It is what brings me peace and really helps me get all my thoughts back together. 

This summer you created an Inspo Board with your sisters. What were the 3 goals you set for yourself that you put on your inspo board?

The images I put on my board that reflect my goals were a lot of things that had to do with self-care. For example, one image on my board says is to eat better, sleep more, and fill my life with more love and happiness instead of anger and resentment. I also have one that I stare at everyday to remind myself to calm down and to OUTSMART STRESS. I overstress myself on the daily and its something I try to work on, but I feel its something I'll struggle with my whole life because I've always dealt with high anxiety issues. Lastly, a third goal I put on there is to be more curious. Sometimes working two jobs I can really get lost in who I am, so creating this board and having this as a daily reminder has helped push me to get myself out there more and meet more people as much as I can!

How do you stay motivated through challenging times?

Honestly, this is a hard question for me, which is why I wanted to create an inspo board in the first place! This is something I still struggle with till this day. At times, it becomes very hard for me to stay motivated mostly because of me being so exhausted and never having the time for myself. On the days I try to motivate myself, I start making checklists to make sure that everything in my life is still running smoothly. As a result, this allows me to reflect on my goals - which either gets me anxious, excited, or even sad. When this happens I start to clean my house to help boost my mood (it works for me!)

What are you most proud of about yourself?

Something I am most proud of is how I can push myself through hard times. Especially when I'm putting myself through something stressful that I do not even have to be stressed about I still push through that and work hard every day because I know I have a goal and no matter what or how long I will get there. 

 How do you find ways to prioritize your well-being? What’s your favorite lesson you’ve learned so far this year?

One way I try to prioritize myself is by taking any moment I can for me. There was a very long time when I wasn't doing that, partly because I was dealing with a lot of mental health issues that caused me to just gave up on myself. I think the problem was that I would focus on giving positive energy to other people who needed help, not realizing that I was still exhausting myself. So my biggest lesson thus far has been to take care of myself first no matter what before moving forward to help others.

What have you learned about balance and pursuing your passion?

I still struggle with balance, but it is a goal of mine to figure out a schedule that works for me. At this point, I do my best to set my priorities and follow through with them. I am still figuring out my passion(s) as well. I do have a lot of things and hobbies I love but have yet to find out if they are passions because of my time restraints. 

What would you say to anyone in the same boat right now?

I would say to keep pushing! There will always be hard times in life, but try to remember that you are here for a reason and you can find happiness in the right people. The struggle in finding them is what makes them worth the fight!

How big is your family? How do you make time for everyone?

I have a huge family. I have ten siblings and yes it gets very overwhelming sometimes to fit them into my schedule when I barely have time for myself, but I still try to see them at least two times a week and spend the whole day with them. 

Where will your next adventure be? And who will be going with you?

hmmm…….. possibly Yellow Stone. (I love National Parks. It is my ultimate goal to visit as many parks as I can and to travel the world of course!)

What can we expect to see more of from you moving forward? 

Moving forward I still plan on traveling as much as I can. This is one of my main goals - to be able to travel at least two times a year! I love posting about it, so you’ll definitely see me posting more about my traveling and my fitness life (to help hold myself accountable). It would be a plus if I can grow my Instagram account and continue to create positivity around me :)