Setting Priorities Can Help You Become Your Best Self
Like it or not, we live in a world that bombards women with the message that you can be all things to all people. I’m happy to tell you today that is a lie. There are and will always be only 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and so on. The hours that you dedicate to one part of your life cannot be taken back and so it’s more important now than ever to take your life into your own hands and be intentional about how you spend your time. If you’re feeling stuck and need help setting priorities in your life, here are some helpful tips.
Determine Your Values
You may be wondering, “how in the world do my personal values play into this?” Truly, the best way to evaluate your priorities is to hold each aspect of your life up to those values and see what fits and what doesn’t. Once you identify what your values are you can better assess the way you are spending your time. If you haven’t ever thought about this question, you can begin by sitting down with a pen and paper and writing down a list of things that matter to you. For instance, after some thought you may find that your personal values look something like this: investing in important relationships (family, friendships, etc.), creativity, productivity, and personal health. Or, they may be totally different, and for that matter they may change as the seasons of your life change.
Evaluate How You’re Spending Your Time
Once you have a list of your personal values you can use them as a tool to measure how you’re spending your time. Lay out your calendar for the week and label each block of time for how it correlates with your specific values. And once you’ve done that look for the places where your values and your actual day to day life intersect. There will likely be lots of correlation, but you’ll also notice the minutes and hours of the day that are being misspent. Is that last meeting of the day making it difficult for you to show up and be present with your family? Do those lunches out and late nights working keep you from living a healthy life? This process can be highly enlightening and is a powerful tool in firmly setting your priorities.
Set Clear Boundaries
Setting priorities is just the first step, the next thing you need to do is set boundaries. This is the hard part. This means saying no to the things in your life that no longer serve you so that you can say yes to the things that do. This step takes time, and one great way to work through it is to find allies who can help. Your staff, business partner, life partner, and children should all know your priorities and your boundaries.
Setting your priorities isn’t a one size fits all process, and chances are you’ll get it wrong from time to time. But, through the act of intentionally determining how to spend your time, you’re more likely to get it right. If you’re having trouble setting reasonable priorities in your life, or have questions about leading a business as a woman, contact me today.