Who comes first and where do I belong?

I have recently struggled with where I belong on my priority list. Oprah touts that you should be at the top. I am happy if my name appears on the list at all. I joined the gym for myself and, while the money that I earn from my job benefits everyone in the family - and community, I really do that for myself too. The people in my family always come first around here. Rhys probably inches out the other two fellows because he relies on me for more. Cole is probably next and then Chris. The house chores and meal preparation probably is next on the list then work then working out and somewhere after all of that, I may get a shower.

I have been trying to get to the gym first thing in the morning but have a hard time with that because I usually leave housework or work work for later in the day - when I don't have a desire to start those things. Frustration set in on Monday when I realized that the gym couldn't be on the schedule because housework and laundry had gotten so out of control. Jessica, I too was considering arson as a permanent solution to this problem.

I noticed something refreshing when I was visiting my family recently. My younger sister, when preparing to go out, would always get herself ready FIRST and then get to work on her daughter, who, incidentally, is always perfectly put together. I take a different approach entirely. My boys get dressed and ready to go and then I fill in the remaining time with putting myself together. I don't know if one way is better than the other but it may speak to where I fall on the priority list. I just thought it was interesting. At the end of the day, she may actually do it for the practical reason of giving her daughter less time to mess her clothes but I thought it was really great. Hopefully one day I can have the same approach.