How to Set Priorities in Life
In today’s world, people have too many tasks and opportunities. In addition to virtual distractions and a constant stream of work and personal requests, we face daily choices: which hobbies to spend time on, which projects to pursue, where to study. But is it possible to change the pace of life today? Greg McKeown, author of the book “Essentialism,” believes it is—if you become an essentialist.
Pause and Reflect: Ask Yourself These Questions
- Are you satisfied with your job? Do you enjoy the tasks you tackle every day? Are you truly doing what matters most to you—not just what’s important, but what’s most important in the world?
If you have doubts, make a list of alternative options. List as many as you want, but you must choose only one, or at most two. It’s a tough decision, but you can’t succeed if you spread yourself across a dozen “priority” tasks. Don’t look for good opportunities—look for great ones.
- How often do you say “yes” to requests from colleagues and acquaintances? How many times do you mentally curse everyone who takes your time—time that was meant for your family or your favorite activity?
Learn to say no to others, even if it feels uncomfortable. After all, you don’t want to spend your life on someone else’s business, do you? Freedom is worth a few minutes of discomfort.
- Do you have a place where you can think alone, without distractions like Twitter or Facebook?
Anyone who wants to live consciously needs such a place. Sometimes you need to be alone with your thoughts to “reboot,” finally finish a project, or make an important decision.
- Are you taking life too seriously? When was the last time you played?
Recent studies show that the human brain develops during play, becomes more creative, and adapts more easily to new situations. If you want to learn to see many alternatives, analyze, and make choices (all traits of essentialists), start playing. By the way, play is also a magical remedy for stress.
- How much do you sleep? Do you think you’ll get more done if you cut back on sleep?
But your body needs proper rest. If you regularly spend nights working, sooner or later you’ll lose the ability to concentrate, become less attentive, and forget what it means to think clearly. What kind of success can you expect then? Take the essentialists’ advice: prioritize your health, and you won’t go wrong.
- Have you ever quit something as soon as you realized it was going nowhere?
Most people can’t do this. It’s hard to admit a mistake and abandon a project you’ve already invested a lot of time and resources in. Essentialists are wiser and braver: they can stop in time to focus on something more worthwhile.
Essentialism: Living Life on Your Own Terms
Essentialism teaches us to live not as others want, but as we want ourselves. Here’s a quick tip for aspiring essentialists: starting tomorrow, try to slow down and do less, but do it better—you’ll enjoy it. It’s been proven by Steve Jobs, Leo Tolstoy, Michael Jordan, Warren Buffett, and many others.