Half a Tank
Don't wait for the warning light.
I remember when I first started driving, my Dad and Grandpa Harold taught me what we jokingly called the “Hiatt Driving Rule”:
Always fill up the gas tank when it gets to half empty.
Simple enough, right?
Well, apparently I took that lesson very seriously because 32 years later, I still follow it religiously. Honestly, I can’t think of many things I have done consistently for more than three decades, but this one stuck.
And if I’m being completely honest? If my gas tank drops too far below half a tank, I get anxious.
Seriously anxious.
My husband and kids laugh about it because they know exactly who I am. If we are driving somewhere and the gas gauge starts creeping down, I immediately start calculating distances, exits, traffic, and nearby gas stations in my head like I’m preparing for a cross-country expedition through the wilderness.
Logically, I know it’s irrational.
However - It feels very real.
The funny thing is, the older I get, the more I realize this habit has very little to do with gasoline.
It has everything to do with how I move through life.
I am risk-averse by nature.
I like preparedness.
I like stability.
I like margin.
I like knowing there is enough in the tank before things become urgent.
And honestly, that mindset has served me well.
When I really think about it, I have spent much of my life trying to prevent crises before they happen.
I prepare.
I anticipate.
I overthink.
I create backup plans.
I mentally rehearse worst-case scenarios before most people have even noticed there could be a problem.
People who have navigated hard things often become this way.
Chronic illness taught me that energy is precious.
Infertility taught me life can feel uncertain.
Leadership taught me people depend on you even when you are struggling yourself.
Motherhood taught me someone always needs something from you.
So maybe somewhere along the way, “fill up at half a tank” became more than practical advice.
Maybe it became a philosophy.
Don’t wait until empty to take care of yourself.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized how many people live the opposite way. They run themselves into the ground emotionally, physically, professionally, and relationally before finally acknowledging they need rest, help, boundaries, or support.
They wait for the warning light.
Burnout becomes the signal.
Exhaustion becomes the signal.
Resentment becomes the signal.
Anxiety becomes the signal.
But maybe we were never meant to live our lives running on fumes.
Maybe wisdom looks a little more preventative than reactive.
Maybe healthy people learn how to refuel before the emergency light comes on.
That doesn’t mean living fearfully. It doesn’t mean obsessing over control. Trust me, I know there’s a balance there. Life will always contain uncertainty no matter how prepared we try to be.
But I do think there is something beautiful about intentionally protecting your peace, your energy, your health, your relationships, and your purpose before depletion takes over.
And when I really zoom out, I can see this “half tank” philosophy all over my life.
It shows up in my commitment to fitness and sleep.
It shows up in my marriage.
It shows up in my mentoring relationships.
It shows up in my constant learning and growth mindset.
It shows up in my faith.
It shows up in the way I try to encourage others before they completely fall apart.
I refill often because somewhere deep down, I know what it feels like to carry a lot.
Maybe Grandpa Harold wasn’t really talking about gas stations at all.
Maybe he was teaching me that life feels a little safer when you stop waiting until empty to take care of what matters.
Thirty-two years later, I still fill up at half a tank.
And maybe that tiny habit explains more about me than I ever realized.
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