Priorities

Several times a year I sit down and think about the things that are important to me and why they’re important to me.  I usually do this when I have a new set of responsibilities or a new schedule, or when I’m feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed, or all of the above.   

Putting my priorities down on paper and categorizing them seems to be an obsession of mine.  I was reading through my journals and I found that I’ve recreated this list or brainstormed this list over and over again.   And yet again, I’m sitting down again to write down these priorities. 

It’s good for me to work these things out.  It helps me recognize where I am in life, helps me know where I’ve been and where I’m going.  It also helps me try to find balance.  It helps me know if I’m doing too much or doing too little.  If I’m doing too much, I feel frazzled, mean, and tired.  If I’m doing too few things, I feel worthless lazy, uninspired, and sloppy.

I try to keep this list as simple as possible because I know there’s never enough time to do everything.  I also try not to get too hung up on making this list perfect or making it make complete sense.  Several of the items listed here really overlap, or I couldn’t fulfill one thing that’s important to me without fulfilling other things that are important to me – sort of a chicken-and-egg problem.

These are the things I wrote down this week:

Things that are important to me	More specifically …	Things I can do or am doing
Feeling close to my Heavenly Father and Jesus	Feeling the Spirit in my life	Worship them by keeping their commandments. Worship them through song and word.  Read scriptures, pray, meditate, exercise, attend temple, partake sacrament, have family home evening, attend church meetings, read church magazines, work on Personal Progress, read the missionary guide, listen to good music and programs.
Building good personal relationships	Being a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend	Be patient, loving, kind.  Be more service-oriented.  Be unselfish.  Be humble.  Be more prayerful for those I visit teach.  Be a better writer, caller, e-mailer.
Maintaining my physical health	Exercising, eating well  Getting enough sleep Taking care of myself and appearance	Exercise-yoga, running, weights, walking, swimming, biking. In bed no later than 10:30/11:00. Eat well – learn healthy recipes, become a better cook. Appearance-hygiene, clothes
Expanding my knowledge and becoming inspired	Continually learning, experiencing, and discovering new places and things.  Learning new skills.	Read good books, attend good conferences, workshops.  Listen to good music.  Watch good movies, performances, listen to good podcasts.  Seek good art.  Learn about genealogy. One of the skills I want to learn is how to become a better photographer and videographer.
Sharing things I know and things that inspire me.  Being creative.	Using music, imagery, the written word, speaking to apply what I learn or things I’ve imagined.	Practice writing, conversing, speaking, teaching, playing the piano, singing, decorating, journaling.
Being a good influence in my community	Learning about issues that affect my community. Being honest. Volunteer. Being giving and charitable.	Read/listen to news, vote, becoming involved. Look for opportunities to volunteer in my community. Practice integrity. Look for opportunities to make a difference for good.
Taking care of the environment around me	Keeping my house and car clean and comfortable Keep my community clean Enjoying nature	Keep things simple, donate things away that I don’t need, have a good organization system, have a sensible cleaning plan, pick-up as I go. Recycle, reuse, reduce. Don’t drive if I don’t need to.  Look for ways to improve my surroundings.  Encourage sustainable practices.  Learn more about how to do this. Going on walks, runs, hikes.
Becoming more self-reliant	Becoming a better worker and developing my skills Being responsible with family finances Planting a garden Developing my 72-hour kit and food storage Becoming a better homemaker and cook Learning about First Aid and CPR	Practice my skills.  Read related blogs, journals, articles. Keep on top of it.  Learn more about the program we use to keep track.  Stick to our budget.  Simplify our budget. Start small.  We have a small patio garden.  I’d love to explore square-foot gardening. Finding good food deals deals.  Keeping it organized.  Rotating it.  Learning how to use it more. Learn how to be a better meal planner and bargain shopper, learn to be a better decorator, organize better, et cetera, et cetera. Take class.