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Navigating life, with your own coordinates, staying on course and living an inspired life, filled with happiness and positive energy, greatly depends upon 3 things. First you have to identify and make a list of all the things that bring you fulfillment, then you have to set your personal priorities based on your list and finally you actually have to spend time on those meaningful tasks you have chosen for yourself. That simple. A happy, fulfilling life, right at your fingertips. |  |
You are the only one responsible for living YOUR life on YOUR terms.
So, why do we often find ourselves feeling confused, tired and lost instead of inspired, energized and motivated? Why don't we spend more time doing the things that matter to us the most? Why is it so easy for us to lose focus on what's important and spend our days living our lives in terms that do not express our values?
The truth is, that most of the time we find ourselves navigating our lives relying on a map someone else has drafted for us, whether it is our boss, our parents or society in general, our days are filled with tasks, to do lists and activities that keep us crazy busy, around the clock. So busy we can hardly find time to sleep, let alone exercise, plan a trip or straighten our relationship with our partner. And so, we end up spending so much time focusing every ounce of our energy and attention to things that have minor significance in the grand scale of things, things that do not add any meaning to our own scope of life.
If spending time with your family is important to you, make it a priority. Make a conscious effort to spend quality time with the ones you love, regularly. Schedule fun activities for the whole family, create new family rituals or plan a family vacation. No more excuses. Now is the time to start making room in your life, so that you can spend your time, energy and money on what's important to you and you alone. YOU. Not your friends, not your husband or wife, not your boss. Just You.
The truth is, that most of the time we find ourselves navigating our lives relying on a map someone else has drafted for us, whether it is our boss, our parents or society in general, our days are filled with tasks, to do lists and activities that keep us crazy busy, around the clock. So busy we can hardly find time to sleep, let alone exercise, plan a trip or straighten our relationship with our partner. And so, we end up spending so much time focusing every ounce of our energy and attention to things that have minor significance in the grand scale of things, things that do not add any meaning to our own scope of life.
If spending time with your family is important to you, make it a priority. Make a conscious effort to spend quality time with the ones you love, regularly. Schedule fun activities for the whole family, create new family rituals or plan a family vacation. No more excuses. Now is the time to start making room in your life, so that you can spend your time, energy and money on what's important to you and you alone. YOU. Not your friends, not your husband or wife, not your boss. Just You.
Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important. Stephen R. Covey [tweet this]
Here is an old inspirational story, that always gets my wheels turning whenever I feel out of focus or in need of a new perspective.
One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.
As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.
He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."
The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to our it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is:
If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all".
As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.
He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."
The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to our it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is:
If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all".
Sometimes all you have to do is allow yourself to take control of your own life.
So, if you are serious about creating a meaningful life, take the time to draft a list of at least five personal priorities and then start living a life that reflects those priorities. Trust me it will be sooo woth the effort.
Are you living your priorities today?
Let me know in the comment section below.
Remember, if you have a question you’d like me to personally answer,
email me at nichole@take-ten.com
Thank you for Sharing the Love.
Remember, if you have a question you’d like me to personally answer,
email me at nichole@take-ten.com
Thank you for Sharing the Love.
Other Posts You might Love:
Go for it anyway! | My Super Secret Motivational Tool
Are your "Buts" in the Way of your Dreams? | How to Live a Passion Driven Life, one day at a time.
Are you holding yourself back? | Break free from your own limiting beliefs, starting today
Overcoming the Fear of Failure | How I Rejected the Illusions of Fear and you can too
Go for it anyway! | My Super Secret Motivational Tool
Are your "Buts" in the Way of your Dreams? | How to Live a Passion Driven Life, one day at a time.
Are you holding yourself back? | Break free from your own limiting beliefs, starting today
Overcoming the Fear of Failure | How I Rejected the Illusions of Fear and you can too
About the Author
Nichole, is a Life Change Architect and a Motivational Speaker, Coaching, Writing and Running Workshops about Personal Growth and Positive Change.
Connect with Nichole on Facebook or email her at nichole@take-ten.com
Nichole, is a Life Change Architect and a Motivational Speaker, Coaching, Writing and Running Workshops about Personal Growth and Positive Change.
Connect with Nichole on Facebook or email her at nichole@take-ten.com
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