Putting yourself first means you’re smart, not selfish

My first of “ten lessons learned in ten years in business” was to Put Values First.  Today I want to talk about Putting Yourself First.
I’ve invested a lot of time and energy in my career, throughout my life, trying hard to give back to others.  One of my early professional mentors taught me about servant leadership and I strive to live that with my employees, customers, partners, peers, family and others.
But it’s a bad idea to spend all of your energy serving others without prioritizing yourself.
The longer I do this, the older I get and the more mistakes I make, the more I realize I need to prioritize what I want, what I need, first and foremost.
This isn’t a selfish act.  When done well, it’s actually the complete opposite.
By defining and prioritizing what I need for myself, I free more of my time and energy to serve others.  Even better,