10 Simple Ways To Prioritize What You Love

July 22, 2015


"You either run your life or your life runs you. . ."

"Friend, you and I have much more freedom than we allow ourselves to believe. Let’s start prioritizing what we love, one step at a time."
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simplicityrelished.com...
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I understand that we have limits, and I’d be the last to say that an epicurean approach to life is the right one. But I think more of us need to consider whether our priorities are reflected through our everyday living. Do we really want to travel? Do we really want to spend more time with our loved ones? Do we really want to be healthier?
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I’ve often found myself complaining that I “just can’t” do something. And maybe I’m right sometimes. But I’ve also realized that I can make space for my priorities. I can be intentional about choosing what way my life is going to go.
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1) MAKE A LIST OF YOUR PRIORITIES, LIMIT YOURSELF TO 5.
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2) RECONSIDER WHAT'S AN OPTION AND WHAT'S AN OBLIGATION [I'd say--a FITTING, durable obligation]
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4) ASK FOR HELP FROM SOMEONE WHO CARES. [imho, that last phrase is crucial]
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5) DECLINE THE TEMPTATION TO BE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY
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WHY PERFECTIONISM MIGHT BE STEALING YOUR JOY
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simplicityrelished.com...
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6) BUILD NEW HABITS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE. USE AN ALARM CLOCK IF NECESSARY. [I've found that a kitchen timer--even a loud clicking and ringing one--can be very helpful in time management. Even 10 minutes on a difficult task is good progress--particularly for a procrastinator.]
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10) INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE: WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.
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Sometimes you and I just need to take the plunge. Dive in--with reason--by investing our time and resources in that thing we love and cherish. Let's be generous and fearless about it;if we do love it so much, we can't go [far] wrong. And as we move forward in that love, it will start to define us and shape us. All the better, right?
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I really like this article. I think she makes excellent, practical points.
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Far too many of us, far too often whine about too little time or energy or whatever to do what we really think is important. Are we fooling ourselves?
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Would a log of what we do with our time; our money and our relationships indicate that maybe our priorities are not what we try and fool ourselves into thinking they are?
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Perhaps we need to re-evaluate. Maybe we need to examine if what our head tells us OUGHT to be important--really is, or not.
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Or, perhaps more importantly, we need to examine how much we have been swept up in the propaganda and advertising memes of the age instead of living by our foundational highest priority values.
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Maybe it's time to get back to basics and slice off all the "hanging's on" of and from the debris & chaff of life.
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Maybe we need to relearn how to say NO! Not today. Not this week. Not this month. Maybe not ever again.
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Was it O'Henry who wrote that most men live lives of quiet desperation?
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We can live differently. Even if it means only carving out a different 15 minutes, or 30 minutes or hour per day or 3 extra hours per week that WE choose for OUR highest priorities--we can live more in line with our highest values with more peace, fulfillment and life satisfaction.
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Cheers,

a reply to: BO XIAN

I called it a restart, or reset of my life.

At about 48 years old, I was dead inside. The ex and I had a combined income of $200k. Kids and house and all.

Finally, I took the hard way out, and I am still paying for it now at almost 52 years old.

I chose simplicity and true love. A new understanding of the world around me.

Ultimately, I found what I had always searched for, true happiness.

a reply to: Onesmartdog

Sometimes a high price is still worth it. Congrats. Sounds like you made some very functional and worthy choices.

On the other hand--with different fingers, too many run from solving things they need to solve--and they keep carrying around the garbage from one location to another; from one relationship to another. That doesn't benefit anyone.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Onesmartdog

Sometimes a high price is still worth it. Congrats. Sounds like you made some very functional and worthy choices.

On the other hand--with different fingers, too many run from solving things they need to solve--and they keep carrying around the garbage from one location to another; from one relationship to another. That doesn't benefit anyone.

Trying to let that garbage go, but the ex is still dragging me to court. One day, my love and I will be free.

a reply to: Onesmartdog

Sometimes, I think it's good that courts are there for proper redress.

However, on the whole, I think folks just need to take their lumps--FORGIVE--and get on down the road to cleaning up their own lives.

Sigh.

Love is complicated, but its all you really need.....

a reply to: BooCrackers

Time will tell . . . about the strength of love vs an Apache copter. LOL.

Brute force tends to be more immediately dramatically powerful.

Love tends to be more inexorable over time.

a reply to: BO XIAN

AH but to lose love can bring the wrath of the choppa, and that is why sometime it is better to have never loved at all.

Love is destruction, its harmony, its anger, its happiness, its contentment, its fear....it is the culmination of every emotion and feeling we attach to another for the sake of compassion to make ourselves better.

There is no stronger force in the universe, no greater drive, no better reason to move mountains than LOVE.

a reply to: BooCrackers

I fiercely disagree that it's better to have never loved at all.

imho

Given that the Creator's chosen currency of His vast Realm is Love . . . one had best learn something about that main currency.

And it appears that EXPERIENCE is the preferred teaching modality on such scores.

I also disagree that Love automatically requires anger or results in anger. Perhaps in the face of raw evil, it could be posited that Love would automatically transit to fierce anger to protect the loved ones from the evil.

Otherwise, I'd disagree.

I think anger in relationships tends to arise from insecurities fostered from ATTACHMENT DISORDER that also manifest as greed, selfishness, hostility, arrogance etc.

a reply to: BO XIAN

90% of all the things we do both good and bad to our beloved is because of love. In order for that to be correct, you have to take the good emotion with the bad...love is all of these bundled together...its what drives us.

a reply to: BooCrackers

imho,

LOVE = WHATEVER'S BEST for the beloved.

I don't believe that I knowingly and avoidably do bad things to my beloved because I seek what's best, most fulfilling, most pleasant, etc. to and for them.

Bad fruit comes out of a bad seed, root, fear, selfishness, etc.

a reply to: BO XIAN

Assuming you know what's best for someone can be a slippery slope.

Just sayin'

Maybe Im just not getting it.....Ill go back to meaningless sex with 20 year olds who want to take turns wearing the handcuffs.....