Recently I wrote about life balance and setting the right priorities for life. Today I share the advantages of setting priorities. Knowing your priorities is empowering. Our heath, well-being, focus and enthusiasm benefit.
Setting Priorities
My personal priorities are
- Self
- Family
- Work
- Friends
- Everything else
Self
Putting me first may seem selfish. But it’s not. To get the right life balance we need to be our best. If not, our relationships are likely strained, our health neglected and our performance below par. If we can’t take care of ourselves how can we take care of anyone else? Attend to your needs first.
When I’m busy and neglect my health I’m more likely to be sick. I’m no use to my family or my employer. If I don’t get sufficient sleep, I get grumpy and no one wants me around. We are better placed to serve others when we feel great.
Family
What is most important to you? The single most important focus in my life is my family. I draw strength from those I love. They are the ones that share my triumphs and successes. When things don’t work out they are there to pick up the pieces.
My family understands that there are times when I get absorbed by my work. This is okay for short periods. But we need each other. We need quality time together to share our thoughts and feelings, our dreams, our fears and our plans for the future. Meal times are not enough. We make time to spend together as family and time alone with each other.
Work
After family my next priority is work. Without work we could not achieve our goals or do the things we enjoy.
There are times when work is my top priority and I have to put it ahead of the needs of me and my family. That’s okay for a short time but no good for the long run. Work is rewarding but it must be kept in check. If not, it will suck the life out of you!
Friends
Friends. We all need friends. And I’m blessed with some amazing friends.
A real friend is one who will tell you of your faults and follies in prosperity and assist with his hand and heart in adversity.
Friends are people we feel good with. They make us laugh, they hear us. They support us. And they hang out with us when we need time out. What’s more, they show us our strengths when all we see is weakness. They remind us of our accomplishments and encourage us to make our future. They are part of our lives and we are richer for spending time with them.
Friends give us stronger sense of self.
Everything Else
Everything else comes next. Not last. These things are important but they aren’t that important. Blogging and projects around the house fall into this category.
Setting priorities remind us of what we hold most dear and help us get back on track when things go awry. It worked for me and it can work for you too!
Have Your Say
Is life balance a struggle for you? How do you manage your priorities? What’s stopping you setting priorities for life? Please join the discussion.
Creative Commons image courtesy Chris Bingham.
Good evening Martin, thank you for the thought provoking post. I have to admit when it comes to this list I struggle with finding the time to put me first… There is so much to do and many demands of our time. Sometimes I just need to announce to my family that my home office door will be shut for the next 2-3 hour and unless the house is on fire do not disturb me. Such is life…
Nice to hear from you!
So do I! That’s why I had to make a change. Setting these priorities has helped. I’m more relaxed and more productive. Thanks for replying.
Great words of wisdom.
Sadly written words are so much easier to achieve than the challenges that they represent. Getting life to balance has become an art within the demands of everyday living to which most find extremely challenging.
I sadly learnt the lesson to late – Children grow so fast and before you realise adulthood beckons they break from the ties.
Isn’t it so strange how we as managers seem to be able to manage organise and plan for others; and yet neglect and fail to self analyse and manage the most important ingredient – ourselves.
It is Great to read and often a blog such as yours is just what is needed to bring people back into reality – because all too often we become blind to those closest and don’t see the harm done due to ourselves being un-organised… A Great Accounting saying: Checks & Balances!
Best Regards to you and your family.
Peter
Hello Peter,
Thanks for your reply and honesty. I wrote this post because setting these priorities has made a difference.
Often the things that were less important consumed most of my time. Now there is greater order in my life. I still get tired. And I still spend too much time at work.
However, I now appreciate the things I value most: time alone, time with family, and time with friends.
Remember this: it’s never too late.
As ever,
Martin
This post was really helpful! At 50s Plus Lifestyle we have written a similar post, “Setting Your Life priorities”. If you are interested you can check it out here: http://50spluslifestyle.com.au/setting-your-life-priorities/
Give it a read and leave a comment! 🙂