Life is like a juggling act that most are constantly trying to keep up with due to heavy work schedules, family time and socializing with friends. We strive to fulfill all the tasks that need to be done to keep our employer, husband, kids, and friends happy the best we can. However, we usually still run out of enough day to finish all those tasks to our satisfaction, which robs us of enjoying life. Unfortunately, it can take some problem like a family member hospitalized or a major illness of your own to see things differently. Before something like this can happen, here is why it is important to prioritize what matters to get more from life.
The first thing that you really need to address is not being so hard about your self-imposed list of unfinished tasks. Accept that there will always be one small task or another that will never get done. The minute that you start realizing that you are only human and don’t need to do it all in one day, then stress lessens from the needless pressure that you put on yourself.
A better approach is learning how to optimize your day by pitting the essential tasks against more minor tasks. For example, you may have a business meeting, a report due, carpool duty, or doctors’ appointments that may be difficult to reschedule could be things on that essential list compared to just shopping for a new pair of jeans that may be on sale or making a cake that is less important.
Something else that helps is examining your day for habits that tend to waste more time such as constantly checking emails or social media that could have been put to better use toward the essential tasks. While those things are important, set certain times only to do the less important tasks by exchanging that block of time for one that is for enjoyment can save time.
Though you may want to be involved more in your community, church or to help a best friend, you don’t have to always say yes when approached for help or accept invitations. Thinking that people will like you more for consistently being there whenever called upon is not necessarily true when they could just be taking advantage. If you have other plans and prioritize what is important to you and your family to take precedence over it, people will respect you more if you say no once in a while.
You may have grown up with a mindset believing that you only can get a reward for completed tasks that are well done such as straight A’s on your report card. However, the tendency to be highly competitive so you can do well in the future doesn’t always hold true. Despite how hard you try and the sacrifices you make to get to those future goals, life is unpredictable and can throw you curve balls to miss some sweet things you denied yourself in the process. To avoid later regrets, you can still keep the future on track by occasionally allowing yourself some slack to relax doing some thing or activity that brings you more joy. Life needs balance.
We have a short lifespan with only so much time on this earth. It is up to us to live our lives to the fullest instead of wasting that time that is allotted to us. This is why it is important to prioritize for getting more out of life while we’re here.
