Decide What Matters Most

​I’ve spoken with many people about what matters most to them, and I’m encouraged at the insights about what is central to personal fulfillment. 

​Here is some of the wisdom I’ve heard:

​1) I don’t have to change everything to

be happy. I’m just going to focus on what’s important and do that.
 
2) My old pattern was to quit, run away, overreact, blow things out of proportion; instead I catch myself in the moment and stop. Then I listen.
 
3) I’m not freaking out about my job anymore. I do it. I’m not going to die if I don’t change my job right now.
 
4) I ask myself each day what goals I can set that influence my happiness.
 
5) It’s OK to be vulnerable. When I’m unsure, people want to help.
 
6) On the way to fulfilling my big goal, I deal with what’s in front of me each day.
 
7) I let go of my expectations about how others should be and found I could be myself.
 
When I ask people how much time they spend on what matters most, the typical answer is not enough. What amount of time do you spend each day on what matters most to you? The answer will reveal where you place your focus and where there’s room for change.
 
TAKE A MOMENT NOW TO WRITE DOWN WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU, THEN USE THESE THREE STEPS TO MOVE WHAT YOU DISCOVER INTO ACTION.
 
1) Prioritize your list of what matters most and decide what needs your attention now.
 
2) Identify three tasks you can do each day that are important to you. One person told me one of his three actions was to hug his child first thing each morning. How often do we let the busyness of our day interfere with what matters most? Writing down the three tasks you’ll do each day will bring what’s important front and center.
 
3) Understand that failure doesn’t stop you; it points out a flaw in your strategy—not in you. Take the necessary steps to correct your course of action. The gain in your performance and confidence is well worth the effort.
 
In the words of my friend Beth, what matters most can change. What mattered most in high school is probably not what matters most now. What mattered most when you had a job, may not be what matters most when you don’t. She reminds us to stay present and authentic to what matters most today. It is the source of your fulfillment and is available in the actions you take right now.
 
May your day be peaceful and productive.