Setting
Priorities
“The
Principle of Priority states (a) you must know the difference between
what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what is
important first.”
Steven
Pressfield
Setting priorities has
never been my strong suit. I tend to do what gives me the most
pleasure, and then panic when the necessities of life become urgent,
or, sadly, past due. As my art-making has progressed, this has become
more of a problem for me. All I want to do is get out of bed, grab a
cup of coffee and go straight into my art room to play.
Unfortunately, the good-fairy has not seen fit to send me a help-mate
or a house keeper, so life intrudes. I
tell myself I'm just too busy to do it all, so I allow important
tasks, and important people, to fall through the cracks. I wonder if
you have that problem, too. That being the case, one task I've set for myself this new year is to take care of necessities first—get the bills paid on time, vacuum up the dust bunnies blowing down the hall, and, for goodness sake, clean the bathroom!
Setting priorities is an
important skill. We are best at doing it as a business practice
because if we don't we're likely to find ourselves unemployed. But,
priorities also apply to our private life. We cannot use the excuse
of being “too busy” to spend time with our families and/or
friends, because the truth is, we make time for what is important to
us. We know that, and they know that. Setting priorities means
structuring our day so that the things that matter most, come first.
This is also true for
one's spiritual life. If we are serious about being a “spiritual
person,” a designation we hear a lot these days, then paying
attention to that aspect of life must be a priority. Whether it comes
in the form of religious worship, prayer and meditation, reading a
book that inspires us, listening to a pod-cast or an interview with a
spiritual teacher, or taking a walk in nature, making time for one's
spiritual life is just as important to overall health as exercise and
diet. Having a spiritual practice requires...well...practice. Most of
us make the time to go to the gym, or yoga, or Pilates, so we know we
have time for what is important to us. To enter into a relationship
with our souls also requires time and attention. It may not seem
urgent, but it is important, because when we do then encounter the
alarming, or the urgent, or the unexpected, a solid spiritual
underpinning makes all the difference in our ability to cope.
Henry David Thoreau said,
“It's is not enough to be busy...The question is: what are we
busy about?” It's a good
question. Today, make time to feed your spirit. You'll be glad
you did.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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