Why Reprioritize? As life happens, and changes occur, it allows you to focus on the most important things first.
When something is a priority, it takes precedence over other things because of its importance or sense of urgency. When your priorities are not well-ordered, you may experience incredible stress and discord; letting yourself and others down. This takes its toll on those prizes of the good life that you recaptured in the last chapter.
Look again at “Reconsider,” and all that is currently happening to you, and you might discover that you need to get your priorities straight! Priorities, which once took precedence, may need to be rearranged and shifted around, simply because of changes or demands in your life.
We’ve all got the same bucket of twenty-four hours in a day. A powerful indicator which differentiates those people, who succeed from those who fail, is how they choose to prioritize their time.
As a young woman, I took to heart the story about the college professor who stood in front of his classroom with a clear bucket. As he placed inside big rocks, pebbles, and sand (in that order), in the bucket, he would ask, “Is it full yet?” And each time his students would say, “Yes!” At last, he poured in water, which truly filled it to capacity, the final time. The moral to the story is that if you fill up your time with less important activities, you may not have enough time left to take care of the big stuff.
Your life and schedule work the same way. If you spend all your time taking care of things that don’t help you, make you money, serve your higher good, or that drains your energy, you’re simply not going to get the most important stuff done.
Learn to prioritize—in fact, reprioritize. Do first things first! When you have your daily priorities straight, you will get more done and enjoy a sense of completion and accomplishment, which is definitely a feel-good moment—a prize to add to the list in the last chapter; a gift to give yourself.
9 Ways to Reprioritize Your Day to Get More Done
- Envision everything you want or need to get accomplished.
- Itemize your to-do list.
- Rank each task in its order of importance, by grading it as an A, B, or C.
- Create a new list with the A’s, B’s, and C’s in order of importance and urgency.
- Since your A’s are of utmost importance and priority, plan your activities, dedicating your complete focus to them first.
- Focus on one thing at a time and do not multi-task.
- Minimize distractions and do not allow them to undermine your results.
- Ask for help if needed, and delegate where possible.
- As you accomplish each item, cross it off. Your mini victories will reward your efforts and help you build momentum.
“To-Do Lists” are essential if you want to enjoy peak performance and personal transformation. When you DO NOT use them effectively, you will experience more stress and be less focused, less organized and less productive. When you DO use them effectively, you will feel more empowered, efficient, focused, and successful.
Now, with all of that said, there is another type of reprioritizing which is critical for you to live a balanced, happy, and healthy life. It’s about taking a bird’s eye view and looking at the bigger picture.
What really matters to you in life and is most important right now? Is it your family? Your career? Your health? Your hobbies and leisure? Your money? Be forewarned that if the less important things use you up, the most important things may suffer from neglect. And be reminded, too, that reprioritizing happens frequently, depending on the ebb and flow of life. While you answer the questions below, ask yourself, “What makes me happy?
Ask yourself:
- What are your most desired goals?
- Where do you find your greatest joy?
- What priorities matter the most in your life?
- Who do you enjoy spending the most time with?
- What activities would you most like to experience?
- What gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment?
My friend Jason Kotecki is a best-selling author and highly sought-after speaker. His marketing materials confirm: “Life balance is a top priority for Jason. With a young family, he only accepts a maximum of 52 invitations to speak each year. That being said, his schedule fills up fast, so don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about bringing him to speak to your organization.” There is no doubt Jason has his priorities straight. His family and quality of life is more important than anything else.
When you continually reprioritize your life by knowing what brings you the most joy and fulfillment, life is rewarding beyond measure. Getting your priorities in order will truly help you achieve this.
This blog is an excerpt from Susan’s new book, Release the Power of Re3 . . . Review, Redo & Renew for Positive Change & Transformation. To learn more, please visit www.SusanCYoung.com or www.amazon.com/author/susancyoung.
