Our priorities are reflected in how we choose to spend our time. What does your calendar say about what’s most important to you?
Many of us begin each new year with great enthusiasm and sincerity about focusing on our personal and professional priorities. Then the realities of life and work set in; there are so many opportunities to explore and demands on our time, yet only so many hours in a day.
What’s a priority for you and what’s not? What stays and what goes?
To get clarity, I invite you to:
- Block out 30-60 minutes on your calendar this week to review how you spent your time during the past three months.
- If you decided that this was the year you were going to spend more time with family, be intentional about self-care, declutter spaces in your home, engage more meaningfully with customers, launch a new program, etc., is that reflected in your calendar?
- If so, kudos to you! That’s spectacular! Keep it going!
- If not, you’re in good company. Be gentle with yourself and reset for the coming month. Remember, in any given block of time, when you say yes to one thing, you’re saying no to another. Be intentional with how you choose to schedule and spend your time. As Albert Einstein said, “nothing changes if nothing changes.”
- Mark your calendar for the end of each month and review whether or not you’ve spent the right amount of time (which only you can determine) on your priorities. Reset, as necessary, for the next month.
- Reward yourself when you follow through on your priorities for an entire month. The best rewards are enjoyable, healthy, and financially responsible.
“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with, but instead how efficiently we can put first things first. When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.” ~Victoria Moran
