Where are your priorities?
I have an acquaintance — let’s call her Jill.
Jill has a REALLY BIG life goal.
It’s her life dream.
Something she longs for.
Something she would love to do.
She talks about it a lot.
She dreams of her life after it has happened.
And you know what…?
She hasn’t done a single thing about it.
Now, I’m not coming at this from a place of judgement.
I’ve been there… (and I still am there in some situations).
But it’s interesting when you see it right in front of you.
Because the truth of it is:
No matter how much you talk about something…
No matter how much you say you want something…
If you don’t do anything about it, all your hopes and dreams are for shit.
They’re pointless!
If you want something desperately, talking about it isn’t going to bring it to you.
Wishing it doesn’t make it happen.
You have to take action on it.
And to do that, it has to be somewhere on your list of priorities.
Somewhere near the top.
Preferably at the top, in fact!
If it’s at your bottom of your list…
It ain’t gonna happen!
Not soon, anyway.
You need to make time for it.
Commit to it.
Quite simply: your actions need to match your words.
So with my friend Jill: do I think she doesn’t really want this big life goal?
No, I don’t think that’s it.
I think she wants it.
But there’s something getting in her way.
Most likely fear.
(Either of doing the thing itself; or the person she will become if she does the thing; or the perceived difficultly she thinks she’ll have to go through to get the thing…)
Or the belief that there’s always enough time.
(And there is — until one day there isn’t.)
As I said, I’m pretty sure I do this too.
And definitely have in the past.
But here’s a question for you:
What are your priorities?
Do you know what they are?
Are you clear on the most important things in your life?
The goals you want to achieve…
The dreams that make you come alive…
The things you want to get done before you die…?
(A close relationship with your family… frequent travel… being toned and fit… volunteering abroad or in your local community… starting a not-for-profit… writing a book… setting up your own business… running a retreat… etc etc etc?)
More importantly…
Where are these things on your to-do list?
Are they at the top?
Or somewhere near the bottom?
Because it’s one thing to say:
“Oh, I’d love to do XYZ!
That would be so amazing!
I really wish I could do so-and-so!”
And it’s another thing to actually do it.
To start taking action on it (no matter how small).
To show it is one of your priorities.
My example…
I can say til I’m blue in the face: “I really love to travel!”
But if I haven’t left my city for the past two years…
What does that say about me and my priorities?
It says that my priorities are elsewhere.
(Again — we’re not judging. Just creating awareness.
And I know there are certain times of your life when you definitely can’t go after your goals and dreams.)
Another example…
You can tell everyone you know:
“I really want to get fit!”
But if you’re not doing any exercise, how does that back up your words?
We have to put our focus on the things we want to do.
Sounds simple, hey?
Cause it is, really.
Now, you don’t have to go gung ho and only ever do that one thing.
Just take small, regular action steps towards it.
So the question is…
Are you like Jill: too scared to go for it?
Or is today the day you decide to put your priorities first?
Emails… chores… housework… duties we feel compelled to do…
(People are more than happy to put their priorities on you :)
Are these things more important than your big life goals?
No?
Then bump them down the list :)
Squeeze them in where you can.
Allocate a short amount of time to them…
So you’re free to spend the rest of your time on the things that really matter … to YOU.
…
How about you — what do you need to bump down your list?
What could you do with moving up a notch or two?
And how much could your life change by this time next year if you started on one of your life goals/priorities now?
Let me know in the comments below — I’d love to hear!
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