Get Your Priorities Right

Have you identified your key priorities? How will you be able to differentiate what is more important that the other? How will you decide on them? I have asked many people to look onto their left and right palm of their hands for the simplest answers. How is that possible, you may ask?

Let’s say that you have ten top priorities. If you now fold your thumbs in both hands, you will see four fingers facing you, making a total of eight (anyone who has less fingers, just bear with me and visualize what I am trying to say here. You are no lesser in any form). Try folding each one finger to touch your folded thumb on each hand, starting index finger, middle finger, ring finger and finally the little finger or also known as ‘Pinky’. Do this with both hands. You will find that all first three fingers will be easier to touch the thumb except pinky. When you are folding your pinky finger, the ring finger inherently follows the pinky too.

What do all these exercises to your fingers mean? When you fold your thumbs, it provides a foundation to your thoughts. That is why, you need to be firm, when needed. In boxing for example, you need to practice how to properly fold and tuck your thumb around your index and middle fingers, so that your fist and wrist reminds strong to absorb the punch.

When you fold you pinky, it inherently pulls the ring finger. Similarly, when deciding some priorities, there will be a secondary cause of it that you need to consider first. Eliminating the secondary cause, will allow you to prioritize your thoughts easier. However, in my case, when I am confronted with this situation, I drop both from my priority lists. Reason is, if I observe something that has a drag effect, like what pinky does to the ring finger, then I do not want to drag along these thoughts, as it should not be in my priorities.

Now, by folding your pinky finger to touch the thumb on each hand, you will see three fingers prominently sighted. When you are doing this, you will also feel the firmness of your lower arm muscles. At this point, you should realize, from ten fingers, you have eliminated four and left with three key priorities on each hand. You will also realize, to minimize your priority lists, you need to learn how to short-list them and remain firm with your decision.

When you are being fickle, it is really not going to help you in any sense.
Maximus @ MaximusPrimo.com

This is how you start prioritizing. Eliminate the quantity and focus on the quality of your priorities. You will decide on ‘Home’, which includes your family and friends, ‘Work’ and ‘Yourself’. So, you covered three main topics. Now, for each category, you will need to make three priorities that you want to focus on. When you get this right, it will trigger the consequential effects that follow after.

Why I mentioned ‘Yourself’ in the priority list? When you are all well, your surroundings will be too. You will need to identify what will be your priorities, that will make you become who you really want to be. You need to remain healthy. You need to be able to find your ‘happy place’ within yourself, to stay mentally and emotionally strong to face oncoming periodical challenges.

I watch comedy movies and shows on tv, when I can. A good laugh always leads me to my happy place. Last but not least, you need to stop procrastinating. There are no two ways about it. When doing so, you will find peace and the strength to lead a better life you envisioned.

Remember, you may not be able to get all that you want, that is the reality, because the changes in the directions that takes place actually realign you in your decision makings. You just need to stay alert, be consciously aware and take note or record these changes. In comparative with technical terms, I call this, recalibration of your body and mind.

Learn to visualize the fingers folding technique that I have spoken here. You will easily see that to start anything, you cannot go more that three main topics. By accomplishing the first three, you will be able to moot yourself to the next level, as it has built greater confidence and determination within yourself. You will not get frightened or demotivated easily. You will have consistency, as you now know how to keep your foundation strong and execute successes progressively.