“I’m too busy. I don’t have enough time. I can’t create more time. My schedule is so full, I have no idea when I can get all of this done.”
I’ve heard myself say this.
I have heard countless others say these phrases. I’m sure you have heard yourself say the above as well.
When we don’t live our lives according to what’s most important to us, then we live haphazardly. Running task to task, meeting to meeting, and wondering where the heck did my day, week, and month go.
By neglecting our priorities, we neglect what’s most important to us.
Priorities are the things that will matter the most if you were to fast forward your life to 3 months into the future.
Just take a moment right now – What are the things your future self would be wishing you had focused on and accomplished months ago?
Yes, checking off items on your to-do list is great and feels gratifying. But guess what, that good ole’ to-do list will never ever stop growing. You will always find more to add and subtract from it.
Priorities my friend are the things, dreams, and hopes of your future. Please pay careful attention to them.
So, what’s the difference between a task and a priority? Ask yourself these questions:
Priorities require you pay attention to them by nurturing them with effort and persistence because that is what will propel you forward and closer to things that matter the most.
If you’re not sure what your priorities are, then pull out a piece of paper and answer these questions:
Your answers to these questions are the key to helping you reprioritize your life, right now.
With your answers armed by your side and clarity to move forward – Think of how you spend your day right now. Does your day and daily efforts support what you want your life to look like in 3 months?
Are you carving out time for what really matters to you? How about are you making yourself a priority?
The topic of priorities and reprioritizing your life is enough to make anyone overwhelmed. So here are 3 ways you can start living your life with your priorities in full center:
Each and every time you create a to-do list – balance it out with a stop doing list.
Your stop doing list should list things that don’t have to get done today, tomorrow, or this week. It can list things that others can do for you. It can list things that feel heavy or simply lackluster.
And I suggest you couple your stop doing list with this one and simple word we don’t say enough: NO.
Employ the word NO in a gentle but firm way. Because we all know what happens when we say no – we get to say YES more often to ourselves.
Before you got to bed or first thing in the morning, write down 3 things you want to accomplish today. Make at least one of them an action step that will appease your future self.
By narrowing down your priorities to 3 things you want to focus on for the day – you get to concentrate on those things. Which is so much better than the alternative, of 
being spread so thin that you get you nothing important done.
They say to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. This is said for a reason.
If you don’t work or operate at an optimal level – everything you’re trying to do will feel its full effect.
Go to bed 30-45 minutes earlier. Eat healthier. Hydrate more often. Engage in stress-reducing activities and so on.
Start slow and build upon it. Pretty soon you will find that self-care is a divine act.
Priorities can seem like a no-brainer. But re-arranging your life to support your clear and defined priorities can be other feat on its own.
Start slow – but the key is to start and to be persistent and adamant about your priorities. Trust me – your future self will thank you later.
