Prioritize It
AS THINGS START TO STACK UP AND OUR CAPACITY BECOMES STRETCHED - HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD IN A HEALTHY WAY?
Sometimes it’s super clear what’s important, other times there is an invitation to dive in for a closer look. Either way, prioritizing becomes key when the number of things that ‘need’ to happen increase exponentially.
My husband and I recently found out we have to move - the owners of the home we rent are returning due to COVID. We had no intention of moving, AND we are all learning during this pandemic that anything can change at a moment’s notice. As I dig deep to find the time and space to make yet another big transition, I’m taking stock of the things most important to me. I’m planning ahead, putting them on the calendar, and creating boundaries in a way that ensures their success. As for the rest of it - it goes on the ‘some other time’ list, which I allow myself to completely forget about until I have more space. I really love this practice - it means that the most meaningful things rise to the top and everything else falls away, essentially shortening my list.
RESILIENCE ACTIVITY: Map it out!
I was recently asked “how do you prioritize when everything seems important?” Sometimes we deem everything to be of equal importance simply because we know they ‘need’ to happen at some point. We are only capable of doing so much at once - so why put the pressure on ourselves to go beyond what’s possible and be left feeling constantly behind?
I can’t say enough about how liberating this exercise is. It aligns the ‘what is’ with ‘what’s doable’ and sets us up for success. This is an introduction to one of the prioritization exercises I facilitate for my clients who have a desire for organization and time management.
Resilience Tip: Be generous with yourself, allow space for things to find their place, you are doing great!
Think about the top 2-3 things that are top of mind for you. For me, these are typically big personal or professional happenings that have a hard deadline (securing our garden before a big storm, a proposal due date, etc.). Once you have your top 2-3 items, add them to your calendar with plenty of padding.
The next piece is a deeper dive into less obvious territory. My personal method is to get large sheets of white paper and different color markers. Yes, I like to make this creative and fun. I come up with categories for the things I need to do (my business: website, customer responses, proposals, and personal: puppy needs, household needs, and so on). Then I get to unload all the things I’ve been holding in my mind by putting them on paper - it’s a brain dump of all the ‘tasks’ for each category. If you can’t find a place to put an item, make a miscellaneous category.
Once you have fully expressed all of the things - go through and color code each item as high, medium, or low. You see where I am heading. Begin to put the items on your calendar in order of importance (again with appropriate padding) and you are off. I continue to assess my calendar as emerging needs pop up, so staying flexible is important.
Yes, we live in a digital world - however, the act of actually writing it all out and seeing it in front of you (not on a screen) allows us to digest the information in a different way. I use a digital calendar and an online project management platform too, but I always return to pen and paper when I need a deeper process of prioritization. You can take this process as deep as you want or keep it at a high level depending on your needs. It’s a great way to shed light on your priorities and create ease in your life.
Give it a try and see how liberated you feel!
Do you want to learn more about what makes some people more resilient than others? This article by Monika Aichele is a great read. She talks about how our experiences with adversity shape our resilience AND shares key perspectives and characteristics of resilient people. Spoiler: We all have the capacity to build resilience!