Priorities, and how to keep them.
Keeping your priorities straight has to be one of the most difficult things to do. We are always distracted by dozens of different things that are begging for our attention and time.
How do we decide what is worthy of our time, and what isn’t? Where do we draw the line?
This is definitely something I continuously struggle with, and am hoping to share a bit of what has worked for me.
What Truly Matters?
We all have things that mean the most to us. Think about what those things are for a minute. Can you list the top three things right away?
- Do these top three priorities get time and/or attention every single day?
- If not, why?
The busyness of every day life will always find a way to keep us from what truly matters. For many people, their work really doesn’t mean that much to them – yet it gets 40-50 hours of their time every single week.
Imagine the possibilities if you prioritized your true passion and gave that even half the time you give your job each week. How would your life look different 6 months from now?
Priorities = Investment in Yourself
Setting your priorities and sticking to them is a matter of how much you trust and believe in YOURSELF. Doing the things that you know will better your life, your relationships, or your health is a matter of how much you care about these things.
I am a firm believer that our mood is determined by our ability, or lack thereof, of doing what we say we’re going to do.
Our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness is our own mind. Learn to use it to your advantage, and you will find growth and build confidence in yourself.
Keeping your priorities might often mean making necessary sacrifices. You can’t say yes to everything – there’s not enough time in the day. Learn to say no to things that don’t bring you closer to your goals or don’t align with your morals.
Learn to say no, or at the very least limit the time spent on things that keep you from making progress. There is a delicate balance between staying true to yourself and your priorities, and pleasing the people around you.
Short-term Discomfort
Keeping your priorities might mean short-term discomfort for long-term gain. What can you limit right now that you will be able to benefit from in the future?
Making these small but mighty decisions today can benefit tenfold in the future. Use your future ability to help and serve others as motivation to make these difficult decisions in the present.
My takeaways for the day:
- Find your personal top 3 priorities
- Determine how well you’ve prioritized them this year
- Decide how you can better keep them throughout the rest of the year
- Make a commitment to keep your priorities for your future sake!
As always, thanks for reading. 🙂
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