In order to take control of your life, you must begin with taking control of your time and schedule. Ultimately, controlling your time will allow your day-to-day tasks to lead you to honoring your priorities and meeting your goals.
Your priorities should be what you devote the majority of your time to- the foundation of your schedule. Rather than simply being a product of your environment, allowing ourselves to be pulled in a hundred different directions, we should aim to create a schedule that not only identifies our priorities, but leads us on a clear path to our goals.
This week, you will identify (or confirm) your priorities so that you can honor them and devote more time to them. It is up to YOU to determine how you spend your 24 hours.
This weeks goals:
I. Identify the five most important things in your life. Make these general categories. Some examples include: family, friends, career/business, health, spirituality, etc. (There are no right or wrong answers!)
II. Create a vision for your life by answering the following reflective questions:
- If you could do or be anything, what would it be?
- Where would you live?
- What would you do to earn money?
- What would your days be like?
- What would you do more of?
- What would you do less of?
III. Evaluate each item you identified in #1 and come up with specific goals related to that priority. These goals should follow the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. format (you can find details on that here). Be sure that these goals are things you want to do and help you honor your priorities. Focus on quality, not quantity.
IV. Work these goals into your schedule. Identify what you need to eliminate in order to make time for your goals.
Intention is a very powerful tool. See yourself as meeting your goals and living the life you dream of. Tell yourself positive affirmations and negate all negative chatter from your mind and your life. -Jennifer Ford Berry
V. Break down long-term or large goals into actionable steps. Keep breaking them down until you identify a step that you can take right away.
VI. Designate a special place just for you where you can regularly reflect on your priorities and how you are spending your time. A small nook in your home, or perhaps a bench at your favorite park. Size and location does not matter. What does matter, however, is that you have somewhere to go when you need to check in with yourself and check out from distractions.
Bonus tips:
Post a written list of your priorities and goals in a place you can see them each day.
“Me Time” is essential for a happy, well rounded life. Most people think they are too busy for me time. In reality, the opposite is true. If you take some time for yourself, you can actually get more done! You will be more productive and less stressed because you are meeting your own personal needs.
If you’d like to explore your goals and get assistance with setting your intentions for the rest of 2017, please email us at hello@ujimasociety.com and we’d be happy to help!
The Ujima Society 