HOW TO LIVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE, PURPOSEFUL LIFE
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Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing several different ways you can start living a more productive life. I hear from so many of you how you struggle with your time and feel like you just don’t have enough time to get it all done. I totally get it, so I want to share with you some of my top tips for managing your time and getting your time BACK so you have more time for the things that are important to you.
But first, we need to figure out just what those important things are in your life. Enter Priority Based Living and how it will help you be more productive!
If you know anything about our family unit, you know that we spend A LOT of time together. Our nights + weekend revolve around fun activities (or at least they did before the 2020 pandemic). Our favorite night of the week is Friday nights, where we have a pizza picnic on the floor in the living room and pick out a movie to watch as a family. When we finish our dinners, we snuggle up on the couches to finish the movie.
It is the one thing I look forward to more than anything all week long.
Well, that and a Friday afternoon beer with the husband…
To say family is my number one priority would be an understatement. It trumps everything else in my life. Family comes first for me - it has and it always will.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when I would much rather lay in my bed, close the door, and be by myself for awhile. Y’all, I AM human and Mama needs a break from time to time.
But, when it comes to what’s really important in life, family (and God) always top my list.
As you may or may not know, I am partnered with a naturally-based health + beauty company. Like many social marketing companies, our compensation plan is based on how much we’ve sold and how much our team has sold. As our team grows and our volume increases, so do our earnings. These help us achieve different ranks in the company and increase our compensation.
It has always been one of my goals to hit a rank in the company that consistently surpassed my teaching salary - and I had a very good chance of doing that a few years ago.
Some of the girls on our team all banded together and were determined to make this all happen.
The goal I was working toward was one that would bring me a significant raise in my income - and a pretty hefty bonus to boot. It meant living a bit more comfortably, and it meant I was one step closer to earning a free, company-paid-for Cadillac.
It was a goal I had been working toward for almost a year - and it was a goal I so desperately wanted.
But, in order to achieve that goal, it meant two things…
“Abandoning” my family in order to spend the day working instead of spending the day as a family in downtown St. Louis - something we had planned on doing for months.
Compromising my integrity by asking people to spend their own hard earned money in order for ME to hit a goal
Both things that made me super uncomfortable and that I knew in my heart were not worth the reward.
But, it also meant having to tell people no and taking away a goal they were also working toward.
It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make and it left me sick to my stomach.
But, I fell back on my priorities. What matters MOST to me in my life?
Plain + simple…
FAMILY.
I keep a picture on my desk from that day to remind me why I work hard every single day…
So, that at the end of the day, I can be present with my family. If that means it takes me longer to reach a goal, then so be it. I don’t want to waste precious days + memories with my family when I know I can still achieve that goal eventually.
That experience was my first true experience in Priority Based Living.
And Priority Based Living is also the first step in productivity + time management.
Until you spend time determining your priorities, whether it’s the priorities on your daily to-do list, or your “Big Picture Priorities,” it will be difficult to truly make the most of your time and energy on a day-to-day basis.
If you know Kendra Adachi and her Lazy Genius Principles, Priority Based Living would fall under “Name What Matters.” For everything you do, you need to know what truly matters, what’s the MOST important thing.
So, how do you figure out your Priorities?
First and foremost, let’s be clear about one thing (and hopefully my story earlier will help with that too)... priorities are NOT goals. Priorities are the VALUES by which you lead your daily life.
For me, my number one priority is my family. This means that each and every day, I am going to structure my day so that my family remains number one. I think about what I need to get done during my work hours so that when I get done working for the day, I can be present with my family. It also means doing things like dinner as a family every night, doing our bedtime routine as a family, and reserving one night each weekend for a Family Movie Night.
But, TIME FREEDOM is also a big priority of mine. I am someone who gets stressed and overwhelmed very easily. I don’t like to be rushed because I know when I get rushed, I end up skipping steps, making mistakes, and just being pretty nasty to everyone around me. So, as much as I can, I structure my day for as much flexibility as possible, so if something does come up (and it will - like the several phone calls I’ve gotten today that have interrupted my writing + work time), I can still get done what needs to be done - and without sacrificing my family.
When you’re determining your priorities, think about what you value most in your life. What things make you happy? What things help you determine the decisions you make?
This is not a list of things you think you “should” do or make important - it’s the reasoning behind WHY you do things the way you do. The are the things that help you drive your decisions in your day-to-day life.
>> I run because my physical + mental health is a priority to me
>> I have a budget because my family + our lifestyle is important to me
>> I create a to-do list because my time and where I’m spending it is important to me
So when you’re asked to do something that doesn’t align with your priorities (aka VALUES), it will be much easier to say no - and to give your reasoning behind it.
And that, my friend, is the first step in living a more purposeful life! If you’re ready to step into who you were made to be and truly find your purpose, figure out those priorities and values and start shaping your life and your decisions around them!
One thing that helps me keep my priorities straight is creating a plan for my days! Grab my Productivity Planner and start managing your time better so you have more time for your priorities!
