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Writer's pictureThea Lessard

How to Prioritize Your Life: 12 Ways to Focus On What Matters

Prioritizing your life allows you to give your undivided attention to the things that are truly crucial to your success.


Ranking your priorities is difficult.



Whether it's devoting more time to loved ones, discovering your true calling, or launching a company, the new year always brings with it resolutions worth keeping.


However, you have responsibilities that must take precedence, such as taking care of your children or showing up for work.


Then there are the numerous obstacles that prevent you from achieving your goals.


It's hard to say no to a high-paying career, even if it means less time with family. Everyday tasks like checking email, doing errands, and cruising social media may quickly consume more time than you'd want to admit.


That's why it's crucial to figure out what matters most to you and develop the skills to make it happen.


Prioritizing your life allows you to put your ideals into action. You make a steadfast determination to attain your life-long objectives.


If you're having trouble prioritizing your tasks, try implementing any of these strategies.


Setting priorities:


  • Build your own leadership ethos.

  • Find out what you care about most

  • Relate your core beliefs to your long-term objectives.

  • Start by making a wish list.

  • Set up repeatable procedures to realize objectives.

  • Control your obligations

  • Examine Your Development

  • Let adversity to shape you rather than destroy you.

  • Keep your word

  • Know when to take a breather

  • Put YOUR needs first

  • Train your mind to concentrate.


1. Build your own leadership ethos.


"Creating a leadership ethos allows you to express YOUR truth and stand strong inside it, to lead from a place of strength and nobility."


The first step in developing a personal leadership philosophy is to give careful consideration to your most important beliefs and ideals. You may use these universal truths as a springboard for making decisions in your professional life, personal relationships, and daily routine.


By outlining your goals and expectations in a leadership ethos, you and others around you will have a clearer picture of how you want to spend your time. It will aid you in determining your own goals and avoiding being swayed by the opinions of others.


In the end, your leadership ethos will aid you in determining whether to go and when to stop.


2. Find out what you care about most


Just what is it that you value the most?


Which characteristics do you value most in a person?


When do you most fully embody who you are?


All of them are hints that might lead you to your own own set of guiding principles. Values include things like health, money, charity, and faith.


The significance of identifying and acting upon one's basic values.


Big decisions and daily actions may be made with more confidence when your values are crystal clear. For effective prioritization and the creation of a guiding philosophy, it is essential to have a firm grasp of one's values.


Get started by writing down your core principles. Choose the top 3–5 priorities in your life.


3. Relate your core beliefs to your long-term objectives.


If you want to feel like your life has meaning and you're making progress, make sure your priorities are in line with your beliefs.


It requires taking stock of your values and working out the steps you need to take to put them into practice. It involves making a direct line from your values to your desired outcomes.


If you place a premium on originality, what kinds of interests or pursuits would you recommend to others? Consider making a job change into the nonprofit sector or devoting more time to volunteer work if you include generosity among your most essential personal values.


Take stock of where you are right now. Put yourself to the test by thinking of novel ways to implement your fundamental principles in your day-to-day activities.



Are you having trouble focusing because of your inflexible way of thinking?


4. Make a list of your top 100 goals.


How would you describe your ideal life?


It's a question that many people ask themselves, but few stop to actually answer.


The task at hand is to compile a list of one hundred goals. Think about your ideal existence without interruption. Just jot down everything that pops into your head.


In the face of inevitable distractions and challenges, these ambitions may keep you excited and motivated.


Identifying your most compelling aspirations might help you move closer to realizing your ideal life.


5. Set up repeatable procedures to realize objectives.


how to set priorities in your personal and professional life

Most significant changes call for sustained work over a lengthy period of time. Choose which actions you should take each day to move you closer to your goals, and make those activities a top priority.


Spend at least 20 minutes per day writing if you want to get your book published. If you want to strengthen your connection with your significant other, schedule time to spend together where neither of you will be interrupted by technology.


Little actions repeated regularly over time add up to large changes.


The brain releases dopamine whenever you do a daily habit. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter most commonly associated with positive emotions. You'll want to do whatever it was that triggered the release of this neurotransmitter again and again.


And even little shifts add up to a large difference over time.


6. Control your obligations


During writing her post, Deb Calvert reflected on the time she rejected THE ideal job.


Why?


She vowed to do something.


She prioritized her duties as a parent of a child with special needs. She knew what was important to her (her family) and what she wanted to accomplish (a flexible work situation).


Even when presented with a once-in-a-lifetime chance, she refused to let it make her abandon her values.


Handling obligations is different from multitasking or attempting to cram as much as possible into your day.


Learning to say no is an essential part of establishing priorities in your life.


More things will be left off of task lists, project plans, and daily schedules when commitments are managed in accordance with priorities than will be added to them.


That's only a mathematical or physical reality, depending on your perspective.


Each of us must determine the specific direction we intend to take. Instead, we risk falling short on the things that matter most without even trying.


7. Examine Your Development


What you focus on expands into reality.


The more you dwell on something, or talk about it, the more likely it is to come to fruition, as Olympic gold medalist Lanny Bassham explains in an interview with Brian Johnson.


To help you perform at your best, Bassham suggests asking yourself the following reflecting questions:


  • Thus far, what have been the successes?

  • So, what did you take away from that?

  • In what ways do you see a future where problems are solved?


Don't spend time worrying about the worst-case scenario when you reflect. Instead, think about all you have done well. Take some time to plan out your next move. Consider alternative approaches and creative ideas. Share your success with others in a modest manner.


The next step is to record your thoughts and experiences in a diary. You will carry with you a pleasant impression that will help you achieve future success.


Relationships are important to me, therefore I regularly think about how I am doing in these areas and how I may do better.


In order to reflect on my fencing progress, I often write in my journal after each training session. Just how did I progress in my abilities? To what end shall I devote tomorrow's efforts?


I think it's important to take periodic breaks in order to assess development. Once every 14 days, I give myself some time to contemplate, either alone or with another person, on the following topics:


  • Please share some of the successes.

  • Where did my wisdom come from?

  • In order to be even more authentic in the upcoming week, how can I continue to hone down on particular areas of my leadership ethos?


8. Let adversity to shape you rather than destroy you.


"What you're willing to fight for is what makes you who you are."


This is one of the reasons we always follow through on our promises:


Recognize (and value) the difficulties.


Life isn't without its challenges. The most valuable lessons may be learned in the face of high stakes, unusual situations, unexpected events, complexity, and pressure.


Instead than struggling against the tide, just ride it out. Don’t deny the battle or play victim.


Reframe difficulties as growth-inducing learning experiences. Consider how your top priorities can inform your next steps.


Consider: "What am I supposed to learn from this terrible experience?" How close am I getting to my goals, and do I need to make any changes to my routine?


9. Keep your word


Outcomes = Long-Term Consistency


The commitment cycle is unbroken through good times and bad. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.


Maintaining long-term focus on your goals is challenging; do all you can to keep yourself feeling encouraged and supported.


Make use of these methods to keep moving forward:


  • Reach out to people who care about you; keep in touch with family, friends, and trusted adults. Consider hiring a coach if you feel like you need more guidance and feedback.

  • The ability to shift course when necessary is essential.

  • Have faith in the method: You will see results from your regular routine and hard work.

  • Take a break: It's important to stop what you're doing every once in a while and recharge.


10. Know when to take a breather


Pause for thought

It's necessary to retreat occasionally in order to advance dramatically.


Take Ana Maria Popescu, an epee fencer who won a silver medal at the Olympics. As her opponent begins to gain ground on her during a match, she calls for a time out.


She can take a breath and "reset" her mind. She removes herself from the predicament for a moment. She turns the tide in her favor when she returns to the game.


Researchers have shown that taking short, well-planned breaks may do wonders for both mental energy and motivation levels before returning to a challenging activity.


Regroup. Recalibrate. Examine your values and goals again. Think about how you may enhance your performance and develop novel solutions. Return to the fray at any moment, perhaps with a level mind this time.


11. contrasting YOUR values with THEIR values


What we believe we desire might differ from what we really want at times.


Comparisons to others are very common. Many imagine that having a flashy automobile, high-paying job, or large home is what they really desire in life. If you compare yourself to others, you'll start to care more about what others value than what you do.


Family members might sometimes put undue pressure on you to act in ways that go against your best interests. They could assume that you'll stay at a job just because it pays well, even if you're miserable there.


The question you must answer is, "What does success mean to ME?"


12. Train your mind to concentrate.


When you know what you want and where you're going, you can put in the time and effort necessary to get there.


Improving attention is something to work on if you're having trouble setting and sticking to priorities because of distractions, overload, or procrastination.


The reasons why people put off doing what they need to do are diverse, but one common factor is an inability to concentrate.


Internal variables, such as mental and physical tiredness or an abundance of distracting ideas, might undermine concentration. Then there are things beyond your control, such as your surroundings, competing priorities, and the unexpected.


Focus is a talent that may be developed via regular exercise.

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