We discover what’s most
important to us and in life through experiences we are prepared for and those
that broadside us.
One Thanksgiving Day we were returning home
from visiting family. As we crested a
long hill, we laughed aloud at a funny incident taking place in the audio book
we were listening to. Suddenly the
narrator’s voice disappeared. I reached
out to turn up the volume. Then the dash
board lights began fading out. This was
quickly followed by the engine’s loss of power.
“Oh, the alternator’s died,” my fellow passenger exclaimed. Fortunately, the car could roll down the hill
to the freeway emergency box. Knowing we
were fine, my mind could then comfortably replay the fascinating scene that had
just unfolded. It occurred to me
everything that was peripheral to the running of the car – like entertainment
and lights, was immediately sacrificed to ensure that what little life the
battery held, be reserved to keep the engine turning over.
In a similar vein, I was
speaking to my mother the other day and she sounded out of breath and exhausted. She mentioned that she was very tired and had
no appetite, which was making her listless. My mother is in need of heart
surgery, which she chooses not to undergo, so her symptoms of exhaustion, short
breath and no appetite make sense. Her
heart and lungs are working tirelessly to provide her body with oxygen and her
body is prioritizing breathing over digesting food. Here again was another lesson in putting what’s
most important first.
Life is constantly striving
to wake us up out of complacency. And both these incidents are stark reminders
of what’s important in life. So do we
know what is priority for us? Are we conscious
enough to recognize when our energies are being depleted in unfruitful
pursuits? Do we see that our hearts,
minds and bodies are working day in and day out to keep us alive? Do we wonder about the reason for this
continual effort?
Each moment, if we are
paying attention, is a gentle reminder of life’s fleeting nature. To approach every moment as a new
beginning provides us the opportunity to grow wise about our true selves and
purpose, and the nature of life – that all things are impermanent. We can
reflect on life’s brevity without morbidity, but with gratitude and gusto
to grab it fully. To live each moment as
if it were the only one available is to live a priority driven life.
Learning to prioritize has
a daily practical component and a spiritual heartfelt one, too.
On a day to day,
fulfilling obligations level, we need to determine what is most important and
needing our immediate attention. Knowing
how to practically tackle a list of ‘to dos’, however is still difficult for
many.
So here’s how you
prioritize tasks on a daily, weekly or monthly basis:
1.
Make a list of all that you need to do in a day, week or month. Being able
to see it written down will help you see the full scope of the tasks ahead.
2.
Then determine which tasks are priority.
Know the difference between important and urgent: important is it needs
to get done, urgent is something that needs to get done right away.
3.
If you have many tasks of equal importance, begin with the one that’s
simplest or easiest, as this will help motivate and inspire you to tackle the
tougher tasks.
4.
Remember to break up important and urgent tasks with things you enjoy
doing. This will help keep you motivated
and energized to get all the work done.
The other component of
living a priority-driven life is knowing what’s most meaningful and heartfelt
to you. Being authentic and true to
yourself, knowing what you value, and living the kind of life most expressive
of those values, is how you begin to live a purposeful life. There are several ways to do this but this is
the approach I’ve taken, which I hope will help you too. Here’s how you do it:
Prioritizing to Live a Meaningful
and Purposeful Life:
1.
Requires you to slow down. Take time to sit
still and pay attention to what’s occurring in your life.
2.
Reflect on what’s happening for you in your mind, body, emotions and in daily
life. Journalize your experiences – begin
with the most intense or vibrant experiences.
3.
Be willing to honestly acknowledge and express what is most meaningful to
you; this can be challenging especially when those closest to us have different
opinions and aspirations for us.
4.
Pay attention every time you honor and sacrifice your values and goals. Journal about these experiences. Reading these externalized experiences will serve
as a reminder, for the next time, of what’s important to you.
5.
Over time your priorities will shape your thoughts, actions, and life decisions;
then you are living your purpose.
May you be filled with
wisdom.
