“Get your priorities straight!”

Week #58 – Ten Weeks to Happyness: “Get your priorities straight!”

Last week I challenged you to take some time to look BACK at the year so far…and take note of your highlights and happy moments to date: achievements, successes, special times or significant developments.  THEN I challenged you to take that ONE THING left to do this year…and break it down into ten steps.  These will be our TEN WEEKS to HAPPYNESS so that you and I together (wherever we are) can yell: “I LOVE MY LIFE!” on New Year’s Eve this year!

But if you’re like most people…(and me too!)…to pick one thing is hard.  You have varied interests, obligations, and maybe a secret wish or two.  Picking one thing means leaving the others to whither up and die, right?

Or does it?

This is where knowing your priorities comes in handy.  I had the blessing of being retold the story of Rob’s first home-buying adventure this week — and how priorities played a big part in the search and selection of that first purchase years ago.  There was a clear list of “Must Haves”, “Nice to haves”, “Willing to Compromises”, and “Not Importants”.  And as I entertained the questions myself in other areas of my life…I felt the clarity that the answers delivered.  And I heard his voice joking with me, saying:

“Get your priorities straight, Graaaaace.”

Priorities don’t mean you forget about the “Nice to Haves”, “Willing to Compromises”, and “Not Importants”.  It just means you put them in their place.

Your assignment for this week: “Get your priorities straight!”  As we count down the last ten weeks of the year — where better to start than with the most important things!  So…get out a calendar and look ahead to December 31st.  If you can, lay out all three months side by side so you can see them all at once.  Then, set a timer for 15 minutes and jot down all those many and varied wishes and dreams you have (for you and your loved ones and family) for the next ten weeks.  Finally, next to each item, ask yourself: is it a “Must Have”, a “Nice to Have”, a “Willing to Compromise”, or a “Not Important”.  These questions don’t just apply to house-hunting…they apply to Happy Hunting as well!

You might be surprised at what you find!  How many “Must Haves” do you see?  THESE are your priorities.  It doesn’t mean you forget about the other items…it just gives you a point of focus.  NOW…pick one, break it down into steps, and take that first action on it this week!

Spread Happyness — share your thoughts in the comments (and if you know someone who is struggling to get clear on something, share this with them)!

10/23/15 by Grace Church
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