What are your top three priorities in life?  The most important things above all else?

Mine are health, family and financial independence.

Health

I put health first because, without it, nothing else is really possible.  If my health is suffering, I can’t be there for my family and I can’t do much to create financial independence or anything else.  When we don’t feel good physically or emotionally, it affects all aspects of our lives.

To support my health, I educate myself on the foods and products that I put in and on my body and only make healthy choices.  I also consider how not-so-healthy choices will make me feel in the immediate and longer-term future.

I exercise in some form every day.  Most days I practice yoga and meditation.  This can sometimes be a challenge with my kids climbing on me or trying to get my attention but I do it anyway and share my practice with them and make it fun.  Many days I take a walk/hike around our property with whoever is home with me.  Other days just cleaning the horse corral is the only exercise.  And some days I do all of the above.

I drink lots of plain water all day long to flush out anything my body doesn’t want.  My formula is to divide your body weight by two and that’s how many ounces of water to drink each day at a minimum.

I get as much rest as possible and have started a new de-stressing program like the one touted by Leo Babuata of Zen Habits in his new book, Effortless Living (which I highly recommend).

Family

My family comes next because they’re my backbone, my source of strength, and I love them dearly.

To support my connection with my family, I spend focused time with each child and my husband as much as possible.

Being present for them is the biggest gift I can give them.

I’m finally learning how to keep my mind out of the future and all the things I feel like I have to get done and just be there for each of them.

Playing with my kids is a great way to reduce stress and show them that I care about them.

Being there for my husband and listening to him are some of the best gifts I can give him.  I’ve tried many other “things” and nothing works like being present and focused on him.

Financial Independence

Financial independence is critical to supporting the lifestyle I desire.  While I’m far from this goal, I know I’ll get there – one baby step at a time.

With financial independence, I can focus more of my energies of helping more people without stressing about my current financial situation.

I can give more to causes and create more value and assets when I’m coming from a more financially abundant place.

And I think about these things whenever I’m spending money in the present moment.  I’m making a conscious choice to spend the money on today’s needs or tomorrow’s freedom.

When you think about it this way, it’s amazing how so many “needs” turn into “wants” that can be avoided.

This also gives me a bigger “why” to build my online business.  By being in charge of my own financial destiny (vs. having a job where someone else determines your value), the sky is the limit!

Neglecting Priorities

I’m human and sometimes get carried away with current moment issues or stresses of the day.  At these times I may not honor my priorities in the way they deserve.

For example, if I’m feeling down and sorry for myself, my diet tends to suffer.  I eat more than I need and sometimes eat too much of certain foods which makes me feel even more rotten.  Damn those comfort foods!

I notice what I’m doing while I’m doing it and realize that I’m making bad choices but feel that it helps me get through the current mood.  Unfortunately they’re almost never good choices and I’m learning to understand that the feelings are only passing and that I need to let my unhealthy cravings pass with them.

When I let my drive to be productive get out of hand, I tend to neglect my relationships with those closest to me.  I get angry when they interrupt my work time.  I don’t give them my focused attention.  I try to multi-task which only increases stress levels for everyone and makes my family feel second best.

When I feel like I need certain things (I spend a lot on high quality foods), I spend without regard to our budget.  I regret the excessive spending later when I look at the impact it has on our checking account in the weeks to come.

At times I get lost in my myriad to-do’s and emails and don’t prioritize growing my business.  I get a false feeling of accomplishment by reading and deleting emails and doing other mundane tasks instead of taking meaningful action toward building my business.

What to do about it

When I realize that I’m neglecting my priorities, I stop to notice how I’m feeling (usually not good).

When I don’t realize that I’m neglecting my priorities, my priorities are always there to remind me.

My body feels run down and bloated.

My kids start to avoid me.

My husband starts to complain how I’m not there for him and we’re not having fun.

The numbers in my checking account start to turn red.

And those are my wake up calls to change what I’m doing and how I’m feeling.

I go back to making healthier food choices.

I stop to focus on my kids during the day.

I make it a point to spend focused time with my husband.

I question how I’m using my money and my time.

Feeling better and re-prioritizing my priorities are my choice.  It’s totally my responsibility to make consistent, daily choices that support my priorities which lead to the life I want.  No one else is going to do it for me.

 

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