Put your priorities first – and Watch Your Anxiety Fade!
No, it’s not selfish. It’s about living out your values and priorities versus reacting to the busyness of whatever comes your way.
We all need some encouragement, growth mindset tips, and down to earth, doable ways to handle all that lands in our lap. All too often, our thoughts and worries will hold us back, drag us down, and stop us from focusing on what’s most important to us, our priorities. And, when we add the idea of “time management” to that…
“Really? Come. On!”
Where do we even start?
Your priorities, sister!
Most of us have SO much on our plates, we easily lose sight of our valuable priorities. Unlimited information, unsolicited opinions, and rampant feedback stacked on top can quickly make us feel like pancakes dripping in heavy syrup, about to tip at the first cut!
Ugh.
The idealistic concept of BALANCE, well, is just that. A fairy tale. We are never able to give the exact same amount of time to one child as the other. We can’t expect a schedule to play out exactly as planned.
And, when we allow ourselves to feel that we need to be all things to all people, or in ten places at once, it’s really impossible to ever feel like we’ve got it all together. Being a people-pleaser can create a very depleted sense of worth and value and maintaining a positive mental attitude can seem almost impossible.
And so it goes. “I’m so stressed!” becomes a daily part of our vocabulary.
“But how can I change it”, you ask?
When you catch yourself spinning into a tizzy, anxious, and drained when considering all the “musts” spinning in your head, I challenge you to take yourself through these…
4 Steps to Put YOUR Priorities First!
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Panic?
Finding ourselves in “panic” mode happens quickly, and usually when we’re leaving our funnel open to everyone and everything, already conditioned to react.
It’s when we lose focus on our priorities, that we need to take the time to examine the underlying causes of the negative feelings, thoughts and self-talk. If we can recognize when those Debbie-Downers come into our head, and where they seem to come from the most often, we can make the choice to manage them and get clear on what’s zapping our energy and stealing our time.
What we watch, read, and listen to have a huge impact on our feelings and emotions.
Who we surround ourselves with can fuel -or drain us dry.
Where – the setting – can trigger feelings of overwhelm, like piles and clutter on your desk and piles of dishes in the sink. Or, your surroundings, can provide peace and calm, like hanging out at the local coffee shop, or lying in the grass on a nice afternoon.
Take note of what gives and what depletes your energy. Your strengths and priorities are most tied to those that build your clarity and energy levels.
Related Article: https://jackiehulm.com/lessons-learned-in-life-as-mompreneur/
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Pause.
We may not be able to control what enters our brain, but we are the boss of our minds. 
By pausing to acknowledge our thoughts, we can then make a decision on what to do with it. First, we need to start by listing what are OUR priorities and values. It may seem strange to need to clarify them.
“I know what’s important to me,” you say.
However, by getting crystal clear on those values and having them stare us back in the face, we can then also look back at our schedules, and see if those values are actually being reflected in what we do and where we spend our time. In other words, does your list of ‘to dos” actually reflect your priorities?
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Prioritize.
By doing a “brain dump”, we can empty the many “to-dos” and “feelings” out, on paper. There really is no such thing as balance when it comes to the many hats we wear, but 
there is harmony.
We’re able to take the priorities list and the task list, and sort the tasks into “High, Medium and Low” priority levels.
High priorities are those things that typically must be done by us, need to be handled in a short time frame, and are most important, aligning with our values.
Medium importance priorities would be tasks that are possibly delegable, and important, but not urgent.
And Low Priority, would, of course, come last, and often, not at all. Their influence in achieving our goals and maintaining our primary concerns shows in its lack of precedence.
By prioritizing in such a way, we can quickly come to the realization that another person’s “urgency”, does not constitute an emergency on ours, which will definitely lighten the loads of obligation we often take on
Related inspiration from the author: https://smart.bio/jackiehulmyourselfcaresis
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And finally, we can now, Pivot.
Taking the time to move through the first three phases will not help us clarify the next best step, but it will also save us boatloads of time as a result. Time spent doing busy work versus that which takes us closer to our goals is not only time lost but ultimately drains our passion and hope.
Embracing that we have the power to choose to panic or pause is so freeing. We have the power to discern what’s of significance in our lives. And, we have the ability to pivot into the direction we choose no matter what comes our way.
Practicing this process to harmony will not only significantly impact our positive self-worth and feeling of belonging but surge the feeling of a victor over our life and where it’s headed.
Now, that’s powerful.
I’d love to hear how this practice impacts your life! Share below!
Your Self-Care Sis, Jackie
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