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As someone who generally likes to think, to plan, to formulate goals etcetera, I’m having a devil of time establishing my priorities for the next year and beyond. I think I’m doing something wrong in establishing the priorities. I’m having trouble sorting out what is most important to me. I’ve been thinking through it for two weeks now — no clarity.
There are too many VASTLY INTERESTING things to which I can commit myself, and I have all the pieces in place to make them all happen if I want. “Matter unorganized” and in some cases “committed” is there, waiting for me to activate and organize it. Some initiatives I feel I must do out of a sense of duty, but I have no passion for them. Others I would love to do — absolutely love to see happen, but I know they will wear me out, so when I think of the work involved, I hesitate to commit I suppose I’m still suffering from a form of burnout in achievement as I’ve aged.
Quote:Anyway, those are my conundrums. What process do you use for establishing priorities?
SilentDawning wrote:…I suppose I’m still suffering from a form of burnout in achievement as I’ve aged.
Quote:Anyway, those are my conundrums. What process do you use for establishing priorities?
SD,
As someone who prides myself from achievement and who tries to organize and prioritize efficiently I relate to this. I turned 40 last year and have accomplished most of what I have wanted to (with some notable exceptions) I ask myself frequently what I should do with my life.
Some rules I try to use in establishkng priorities are:
* spend money and time on experiences not things
* does it bring me closer to my wife or kids
* will I look back on it fondly or a mistake
happy new year all!
I started focusing six years ago on one characteristic I wanted to develop more fully each month. The goal wasn’t to master anything and move on, but rather just to focus on one thing (humility, meekness, patience, moderation, etc.) for a manageable time period (one month, for me) and then move on to something else. I focused for two years on things identified within the Sermon on the Mount – then picked the manifestations of charity in 1 Corinthians 13 – then moved on to other things that could fill a list of twelve characteristics. That approach has worked wonders for me, and I am in the process of figuring out what my focus will be for this year.
I have been co-purposing. I am working on an MBA through correspondence. I feel that it will make me more marketable in the future, Shows that I am interested in personal development and growth to my current employer, and helps me to model the importance of education to my children.
I am the treasurer for two different community organizations. I feel that this helps the organizations (which I do care about), It helps makes me more marketable in the future as good points to flesh out a resume, and it gives me something to put in the community involvement section of me annual work evaluation.
Some of these goals might not be worth the effort if looked at for its own merits – but taken together give me motivation to commit and move forward.
I agree wholeheartedly in co-purposing — I use the term “co-missioning” but I think it’s the same thing you are talking about. My service lately has been to help me sustain credibility in my role as business professor, and it’s helped significantly. I realized that this is really about developing a mission statement again. I have one, but it doesn’t resonate with me in spots. and its out of date as my children are older. Roadrunners’ comments above reminded me of that — he set broad criteria that the mission statement could meet — like a vision statement. I guess I need to start there.
It’s a real tug of war when there are so many GOOD things I could be doing and I want to do them all, but there just isn’t time for it all.
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