Lisa WoodruffCEO and founder, Organize 365

I Learned This Lesson The Hard Way... #LisaWoodruff #TimeManagement #Organizing #MentalLoad

14 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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Lisa Woodruff realized she was treating her own needs as optional until her father's illness forced her to prioritize differently. She learned that clarity about mortality makes self-care easier, but questions why we need a crisis to honor what we need all the time.

Chapters

I learned this the hard way. My needs weren't optional. For the first time in my adult life, I made a decision based purely on what I needed, not what was easiest for everyone else. I knew the time I had left with my dad was limited, and that clarity made it easier for me to put myself first. But the real question was this: could I still do that when there wasn't an emergency? That's when I realized something important. Our needs are not only valid in times of crisis, they matter all the time. Ignoring them doesn't make you strong, it makes life unsustainable. Where might you be treating your needs as optional right now? Let me know in the comments below.