July 22, 2015
"You either run your life or your life runs you. . ." "Friend, you and I have much more freedom than we allow ourselves to believe. Let’s start prioritizing what we love, one step at a time.".
http://simplicityrelished.com/ways-to-prioritize-what-you-love/.
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I understand that we have limits, and I’d be the last to say that an epicurean approach to life is the right one. But I think more of us need to consider whether our priorities are reflected through our everyday living. Do we really want to travel? Do we really want to spend more time with our loved ones? Do we really want to be healthier?
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I’ve often found myself complaining that I “just can’t” do something. And maybe I’m right sometimes. But I’ve also realized that I can make space for my priorities. I can be intentional about choosing what way my life is going to go.
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1) MAKE A LIST OF YOUR PRIORITIES, LIMIT YOURSELF TO 5.
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2) RECONSIDER WHAT'S AN OPTION AND WHAT'S AN OBLIGATION {I'd say--a FITTING, durable obligation}
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4) ASK FOR HELP FROM SOMEONE WHO CARES. {imho, that last phrase is crucial}
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5) DECLINE THE TEMPTATION TO BE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY
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WHY PERFECTIONISM MIGHT BE STEALING YOUR JOY
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http://simplicityrelished.com/perfectionism-stealing-joy/
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6) BUILD NEW HABITS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE. USE AN ALARM CLOCK IF NECESSARY. {I've found that a kitchen timer--even a loud clicking and ringing one--can be very helpful in time management. Even 10 minutes on a difficult task is good progress--particularly for a procrastinator.}
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10) INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE: WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.
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Sometimes you and I just need to take the plunge. Dive in--with reason--by investing our time and resources in that thing we love and cherish. Let's be generous and fearless about it;if we do love it so much, we can't go {far} wrong. And as we move forward in that love, it will start to define us and shape us. All the better, right?
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I really like this article. I think she makes excellent, practical points.
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Far too many of us, far too often whine about too little time or energy or whatever to do what we really think is important. Are we fooling ourselves?
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Would a log of what we do with our time; our money and our relationships indicate that maybe our priorities are not what we try and fool ourselves into thinking they are?
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Perhaps we need to re-evaluate. Maybe we need to examine if what our head tells us OUGHT to be important--really is, or not.
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Or, perhaps more importantly, we need to examine how much we have been swept up in the propaganda and advertising memes of the age instead of living by our foundational highest priority values. .
Maybe it's time to get back to basics and slice off all the "hanging's on" of and from the debris & chaff of life.
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Maybe we need to relearn how to say NO! Not today. Not this week. Not this month. Maybe not ever again.
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Was it O'Henry who wrote that most men live lives of quiet desperation?
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We can live differently. Even if it means only carving out a different 15 minutes, or 30 minutes or hour per day or 3 extra hours per week that WE choose for OUR highest priorities--we can live more in line with our highest values with more peace, fulfillment and life satisfaction.
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Cheers,
