The Magic of Prioritization
Prioritization is the action or process of deciding the importance or urgency of things in our life. While it sounds simple, many of us rarely utilize this tool with the wisdom and discernment necessary to make it a catalyst for creating the life of our dreams. When we allow life to choose our priorities for us, we give away our power.
Imagine your life as a rowboat out there on the waters of life. Is your boat in good condition, or does it have several leaks and a broken oar? When many of us desire to achieve our goals, pursue our dreams, or invite change into our lives, the first tool that we use is effort. We believe that more effort = better (or different) results. While this can be true, it certainly is not the truth.
Returning to the boat analogy, how effective would it be if you increased your effort, rowing your boat 5x as fast as you were before, but left the leaks in the bottom of the boat? You would continue to take on water, you’d slow down, and you’d have to take more breaks to bail out the water so that you wouldn’t sink. Now, imagine fixing all the leaks in your boat, and then returning to rowing at the same level of effort as before.
What would happen? You’d go further, faster.
When we don’t set priorities for our life, we allow our energy to leak out, preventing us from easily accomplishing our goals. On the other hand, when we focus our best energy on our identified priorities, we automatically pull those things closer to us, easier and faster.
Pause for a moment and consider what your heart’s desires are. Many people identify things like: feeling healthier, being stronger, opening their own business, being closer to family, increased rest & ease, more art & creativity, having more free time for hobbies, or knowing themselves better and feeling more comfortable in their own bodies. In your mind, identify the top 3 things you’d love to have more of (if you had a magic wand and could have whatever you wanted).
Now, take a moment to consider what takes up your time, energy, and money. When doing this exercise with clients, I usually hear things like: my job, chores, stuff for the kids, arguing with my partner, social media, being on my phone, and watching TV.
Now, set your lists side by side and discover how aligned they are. Allow yourself to come home to any inconvenient truths you’ve discovered. Here are some inconvenient truths that might emerge:
→ If I wait until I feel like exercising, I will never be fit.
→ If I work on my business at the end of the day when I’m tired, I will never be an entrepreneur
→ If I use my phone to “relax,” I will never find more comfort in my own skin
→ If I continue to wish that my partner would change ______, so that I could be happy; I will never get the deeply connected, sexy marriage that I desire
→ If I continue to eat heavy foods, my body will never feel light
→ If I spend time complaining, I will never be grateful
→ Spending 6+ hours on an app or social media, will never bring me the peace and joy that I yearn for.
Whatever unique truths you discover, lean into them with grace. Grace is generous, free, totally unexpected, and possibly even perceived as undeserved.
Grace is acceptance combined with gratitude.
When we look at where our lives are out of alignment, it can be an easy step to self-beat up, shame, resentment, or apathy. If you find yourself experiencing any of those emotions — great! These are the guideposts for you, leading you down the path of further self-acceptance. Invite them closer and breathe love and compassion into them, and then allow them to move on with grace.
You are powerful. You deserve to make your own priorities in life. You don’t have to wait for permission to align your life with your values. You are allowed to change anytime you want and as often as you want. You are doing great at life.
By recognizing where your energy is being spent, you can begin to patch up any holes in your metaphorical rowboat. Eliminate distractions, and commit to not tolerating energy drains in your life. Put what is most important to you first (with your time, energy, and money), and watch your life transform.
This is the magic of prioritization, and it will change your life. Remember, a person with purpose and plan attracts opportunity. Only with definiteness of purpose can we overcome the obstacles in our way.
