Day 5: Discern Your Priorities

If your values and principles are your compass, then your priorities are your GPS; your compass points north, and your priorities are the path you take. By priorities I mean those activities, good deeds, responsibilities, people, disciplines, and whatever else seems most important and feels most meaningful to you.

You have lots of things in lots of categories that you do every day, but which of those are priorities in your life? Only you can figure that out.

Priorities are more fluid than values. They change over time and with the seasons, and expand or decrease with your energy, so you need to keep a close eye on them. 

Carefully choosing a set of priorities will give your day focus, and help you to decide how to best spend your time. You only have so much time each day, and we all know we can't do it all, so give priority to the activities and people that matter most to you right now. Knowing your priorities will give you the gift of self-confidence and peace of mind, because it will be so much easier to say "No - that is not a priority for me right now."

• Write about your current priorities for daily action. Ask yourself:

-What are my important and meaningful responsibilities and jobs? (Work, family, committees, etc.)
-Where do my strengths lie?
-What gives me the biggest reward?
-What would I do even if I only had 6 months to live?
-Which activities best support my dreams and goals?
-What activities best support my values?

• Read back through your journal - your brainstorming, your vision walk, and your rosy future letter - and make note of any priorities that stand out, and anything you saw on your vision walk that seems important, even if you don't fully understand it.

• Simplify your list of priorities as much as possible by grouping things: For example, exercise, eating right, etc. becomes Health; friends, family, and volunteer service becomes Heart). Try to narrow your list down to the top 4 to 8 priorities in your life right now. (If you are a working person, and spend a good chunk of your time at work, it's valuable to define more than one priority for work within that list.)

• Write out a list of your top 4 to 8 priorities on a clean page in your journal, or add it under your top core values and principles list. (To see my list, check out the "About the Author" page.)