I've taken a few weeks away from the blog, and honestly it wasn't on purpose. My schedule had been full, making time for my family is a must, so something had to give. There are certain things in life we need to keep at a high level of priority and my family is definitely one of those. Now, keeping up with laundry? That's a whole other story.
I've been pondering more and more on what my top level priorities really are. Is it work? Is it family? Is it keeping up with friendships? Is it keeping my house clean? They say we make time for the things that really matter to us, and when we are "too busy" or "don't have the time" for something it's really because we're not that into it. I don't think this is ALWAYS the case, but as I sat and thought on my own priorities, I definitely saw truth to it.
Here are some questions I've been asking myself as I write out my to-dos and plan for my days/weeks/months ahead:
Does this bring me happiness?
Please understand that this doesn't mean each and every action needs to bring you happiness. Maybe a priority for you is keeping a clean kitchen but washing dishes doesn't "bring you happiness"... this would be the time to just roll up your sleeves and clean that ish. Because guess how happy you'll feel when you're chilling on your couch with a cup of tea, watching Netflix tonight with a CLEAN kitchen? Pretty darn happy. When asking the question "does this bring me happiness?" think about the goal that your action is working towards, not every single step it takes to get there.
Is this important to me?
Spending time with my family = important. Spending time scrolling my phone = not important. It's good to remember that just because something is a habit does not mean it's important. "But Al, I have to check this because if I don't..." What? the world will stop spinning? You won't be completely up to date with news that will be there tomorrow? or won't be there because it's THAT irrelevant? No. You don't have to. You want to, because it's a habit. (totally talking to myself here, but if it felt like I was yelling at you there may be a reason for that;)
Does this provide value to others?
Now, it doesn't always have to provide value for others if it's just a "you" thing. Like say, using a foo foo exotic coconut flower mask on your face every week... because hey, if glowing like a Tahitian princess is your thing, you should do it whether it adds value to others or not.
But, if it does involve others why not add value?
Does this provide value to me?
Whether it's taking the time for a dinner party with friends, keeping a clean kitchen, or using that exotic face mask and sticking cucumbers on your eyes... Get your Tahitian Princess glow on, baby.
Is this "big picture"?
Will what I'm doing/working on now matter in 5 years? For example: Re-editing the same photo 11 times (just to come back to how it was at first edit) is not my big picture, but hanging with Mila and B, even if we're just on the couch watching a movie, is my big picture.
It's building relationships now that will matter to me in 5 years.
Is this helping me or hindering me from where I want to go?
This is a biggie. Are the actions you're doing today (like, right now) helping or hindering you? It's easy to say "it's ok if I don't work on *blank* today, it's just one day. I'll start on *blank* tomorrow...". But once you realize just how much you CAN do in one day, it'll be harder to let the days pass you by.
What questions do you ask yourself while setting priorities and goals? I'd love to hear!
Have a beautiful weekend!!
