Last night I soaked in a bubble bath with a glass of wine, messaging my sister while being interrupted countless times by two beyond hyper & Christmas ready boys. (Why do I not lock the door? Because my ever so thoughtful husband will often bring me bath-side wine refills) And with the entire 10, maybe 15 minutes of peace and quiet that I gained from that hour or so in the tub, my mind began prioritizing what was left of the night and the remainder of the week without even thinking twice. (Reading is best before bedtime, ditch the phone. I didn’t hit the gym today, must wake up and go tomorrow. Need to reply to that e-mail. Check in on Grandma. Christmas stuff… and if I told you everything else you may wonder how many thoughts can run through a girls’ mind in such a short time-frame.)
I have always tried to accept life as this unexplainable journey, filled with endless memories tied to countless emotions. All of the non-linear emotions that take a piece of our soul. And although I most often take pride in being able to roll with it or go with the flow, I have found myself, as we all do, perhaps not always basing decisions that align with where my priorities should be. Or have I even set priorities? I am only human.
Why did you choose to wake up when you woke up today? For the kids, for time to yourself, to get to work on time, to work on Christmas wrapping, make that last Amazon purchase? Me, I woke up to a dog barking at 3:15am. And since my alarm was scheduled to go off at 4:20 anyways, why bother trying to go back to sleep. So my priority became the barking dog. (Then that damn ELF on the Shelf that didn’t get moved last night – thank God for 3:30am barking dog) Then some light 10 minute yoga while the coffee was brewing and then, I chose to NOT put on gym clothes but rather turn the heated blanket to high, kick the recliner up and let the lit up Christmas tree, coffee and laptop occupy my morning time.
There are so many ways to say it or express it. And it applies both personally and professionally. - I don’t have time. I’m too busy. That is going to take up too much of my day. I’ll get to that when I have more time. It costs too much. It will take forever to save for that. [Insert any excuse]
Try this quick. Replace ALL of those with THIS> “It’s not a priority.” I.E. It’s NOT important or important enough .
Really though, how does that feel?
What it comes down to is that we will give time and attention to the things and equally the people that we place priority on. Read that sentence again.
- Too busy to exercise? It’s not a priority.
- I don’t have time to read. It’s not a priority.
- I’ll call “insert name” back tomorrow or this weekend, etc. Not a priority.
- My schedule is full that day or that weekend (for the year). Not a priority
- It costs too much to eat healthy. Not priority.
- I’m just too tired to (insert task). Not a priority.
- Just not sure I have enough time for THAT. Not a priority.
- Don’t think I can “deal” with that right now. Not a priority.
- Insert any other excuse really… Not a priority.
It’s just not important enough. What and who did you give your time and attention to yesterday? Last week? At work, at home?
We will all blink and the fact stands true – an hour passes and turns into a day, into a week, into a month, into a year. And without prioritizing the different compartments of our lives, tasks don’t get completed, regrets weigh heavy, people lose validation.
Most people tend to fill up on completing those urgent matters before the important matters. It’s easier in our minds. I’ll fold a load of laundry in the morning to cross that off the list rather than 10 minutes of exercise or yoga. I’ll clean out my inbox rather than start on a project that is due at the end of the month (even though I just cleaned it out yesterday) I’ll scroll through social media for 10-15 minutes to pass time when your Mom, friend, significant other is waiting for a call back or a reply or answer to something. I’ll take care of the easy stuff first. This mindless show or movie is way more appealing than (insert task or thought).
Often where we get caught is that we aren’t even aware of what our priorities are. Because we become these creatures of habit over and time again. We also don’t take the necessary time to evaluate and re-prioritize. Because why, it’s not a priority. One crazy vicious cycle people.
When you take the time to realize what your priorities truly are it gives you confidence in saying no to specific things or tasks and people. Yes, confidence. Think about it.
PEAKJOY Priority thoughts:
• First, take a few minutes to prioritize. It requires a little thought and doesn’t just happen on its own.
• Prioritizing should be a simple process. Don’t overanalyze and don’t overcomplicate it. It matters to you, make it the priority. BOOM, done.
• But in that same breath; Make hard choices. Everything can not be a priority. Defeats the purpose. Then you may as well say that nothing is priority.
• Prioritizing may mean sacrificing. Saying no to one thing or one person, means saying yes to another. Yes, our choices have consequences.
• DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make someone else’s priorities YOUR priorities. Everyone is on their own journey. Trying to mirror your priorities to someone else you deem “happy” etc. will not yield you the outcome you are anticipating.
• Be unwilling to compromise at times.
• Remember that you are allowed to change priorities based on different life events. Take time to re-evaluate.
• Don’t be afraid to communicate your priorities. This one is crazy important.
So, a little Tuesday PEAKJOY challenge for you, especially during this Holiday time and near the beginning of a new year… ask yourself some questions.
In the past day, week, month, have you said “I’m too busy for that?” “I don’t have time” “I’ll get to that task or that person another time”
What and who are you giving your time and attention to? What and who do you make priority around the Holidays? What and who do you intend to give your time and attention to in 2020?