Dear MELISSA,

"Welcome to business boot camp. Get ready to have your butt kicked everyday for the next 6 weeks. Oh, and BTW, you are already behind," my new mentor announced.

I kept sensing this month was about priorities, but didn't know why.

Trusting my gut, I kept notes of my thoughts and did my research on the topic.

Then one thing led to another and I met Sajad, a business genius.

His grueling 6 weeks program is all about making and fulfilling your priorities in your business and personal life.

I'm excited, and a bit scared, but I can't wait to see how my business evolves with his direction.

As my mentor emphasizes, "time is of the essence!"

So in the spirit of priorities, let's get started!

Blessings of a life well lived,

Melissa

You Don't Mess With the Priorities

Your priorities aren’t what you say they are. They are revealed by how you live. ~ Anonymous

When I think of priorities, I always remember an exercise my philosophy professor performed in class.

The demonstration involved a large jar, large rocks, pebbles, sand and water (in this order).

First, he filled the jar with the large rocks and then asked the class if the jar was full. The class chimed in that the jar was full.

Next he pulled out a bag of pebbles that he added to the jar, followed by each of the other items.

Before placing the next element in the jar, he would ask again, "Is the jar full now?"

Each time the class would agree that the jar was definitely full, just to have the next item added.

If you do not know your priorities, others will declare them for you by pulling on your time, energy and money with their needs, wants and priorities.

What would you say if I told you I can tell what your priorities are just by knowing where you spend the majority of your time, energy and money, your three primary resources.

You see, if you are not investing your time, energy and money in what you say your priorities are, then these are not your real priorities.

You might genuinely want them to be your priorities, but it will take some reworking your life for them to be your TRUE priorities.

But try convincing your partner how much you love them, while you keep cancelling date night and forget his or her birthday.

Or tell your children that you are their greatest fan, but don't make any of their games or performances?

If you want to simplify your life, you've got some work to do to get your life in alignment with what matters most to you.

When your life is guided by your priorities, your priorities are able to safeguard all of your resources.

Simply put, if a choice doesn't support your priorities, you get to say no without guilt.

Truth is you only have 24 hours in a day, a given amount of money at any given time, and only so much energy (which tends to declines as you get older).

It's your responsibility to identify your priorities and uphold them.... in all of your decisions.

Know your priorities will change over the course of your life. Just be intentional when changing them.

For instance, a single man who recently graduated from school and started his new job will have distinctly different priorities than when he is a married man with teenage children and established in his career for 25 years.

Some priorities you may consider: work promotion/career, building a business, financial security, strong partnership, family, spirituality, physical health, mental health, recovery maintenance, a particular hobby.

When deciding what is most important to you, remember that if everything in life is of equal importance, then ultimately nothing is of importance.

This also means tying your goals to your priorities, so that large and small decisions involving your life support your priorities.

For instance, having financial security as a priority could include the goals of college intuition for children, substantial savings and financial freedom in retirement.

Finally, all of your priorities do not necessarily carry the same weight of importance for you.

Cool Resource

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. ~ Stephen Covey

My mentor put me onto this video, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, but David Allen. I love it! It clearly discusses many concepts that I have taught through the years and that I use in my life to redirect moments of overwhelm. Combine his ideas with prioritizing and you will increase your productivity in no time. Check it out and consider taking copious notes.

If the you are ready to significantly decrease overwhelm, increase your productivity and feel vitally alive again at work and home, maybe it's time to schedule a Time for the Things That Matter Most Strategy Session by clicking on the left link.

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On a Personal Note

You Don't Mess With the Priorities

Cool Resource

Upcoming Events

Connect With Me

Don't Keep Us a Secret!

Why We Do What We Do...