Welcome back,

We need seasons with changed priorities, but how do we get back on track?

My dear Friends,

Ok, I am back, finally. I have to admit, however, it was my goal to take a three-week holiday at the end of August and return by mid-September with new editions. Which I obviously did not- I am back sic weeks later.

I had reached a point where I had too much information to filter and make sense of. Only to be confronted with a totally changed situation a few hours later. Something had to change at least for a while.

There were the usual daily hiccups, and again the world seemed to have turned upside down in 2022. A war, inflation, a stock market downturn, rising oil and gas prices, and a faltering global economy are just a few issues.

So, I decided to embark on a “season of changed priorities” to clear my mind. I rented a house at the seaside, organised private yoga classes and massages, and invited friends and family.

So, everything was set for some well-deserved escapism. No news to digest or problems to solve. Doing little to nothing.

Now, here I am, three weeks later, behind what I had planned. But what had happened to my usual discipline?

Life, as so often, got in my way. Due to the turmoil in financial markets, I had to rethink my strategy, a real-estate plan was not working out as planned, and my @Invest!Elle’s game plan proved to be rather flawed.

It took a while. Now, my goals are re-defined, my priorities aligned, and my motivation and I are back on track: I will do whatever needs to be done to achieve my @Invest!Elle goals without losing sight of my financial well-being. The latter has remained my first priority.

If You usually have as much trouble as I getting back on track- here are some really useful tips

Seasons of changed priorities

Priorities have always served a significant purpose in my life. Prioritizing helps me keep things organized and gives my everyday routines more flow. This is especially true in confusing and difficult times like now. However, it is so easy to lose sight of priorities when uncertainty is knocking around every corner.

But, I am also aware that deliberately changing priorities and taking care of oneself allows us to pause and rest so that we can resume whatever we’re doing with new energy.

Unfortunately, I associate taking time off and changing priorities with guilt because while on a break, I prioritize doing something for myself– my mindset is clearly pre-programmed. I feel bad because I can’t prove that this “doing nothing” will actually help me to perform better in the future.

Changing priorities is important

Today I do acknowledge how critical changing priorities from time to time is for my mental and physical health. I realised it is as important as sleep and food; we should not skip our seasons of changed priorities if we want to function properly.

  • helps to prevent and reduce stress
  • improves your mood
  • restores motivation
  • fuels creativity
  • improves your memory
  • boosts your growth mindset
  • allows us to reassess and view the bigger picture
  • increases your productivity

Getting back on track

It’s normal to have seasons when your business, finances or even family is not as much of a priority. It is okay!

I tend to lose sight of my priorities when uncertainty is knocking around every corner; however, I start feeling anxious or depressed when this goes on for too long, and I get nothing done anymore, and my time-out becomes a downward spiral.

This is why I know how vital it is to get back on track after a while. Believe me, I do know how hard this can be. Especially if there is no outside pressure to do so.

But, this should make things easier:

  • Sort your goals: The first step is, to be honest with yourself. Setting unrealistic goals is counterproductive. Prioritise these goals.
  • Distinguish between importance, need and want: Make a clear distinction between desirable wants and actual needs. Only once the needs have been met the desirable wants can be approached and obtained.
  • Determine necessary and unnecessary tasks: the most urgent and important task has priority.
  • Start doing things: Complete all things you can do in less than five minutes first. This builds momentum as you check them off the list. Next, focusing on the hardest task-this will probably take up an extended period of time. Don´t postpone or avoid tasks. Once a task is accomplished, you will feel relieved, this helps to address the other tasks with much more ease.
  • Distinguish between “Important” and “Urgent”: Often, we have the feeling everything is urgent however, most tasks throughout your day are not as urgent as they feel. We easily feel that way when we’re unproductive, and tasks pile up. 
  • Plan ahead: The easiest is to plan the day ahead the evening before. This will give you a sense of getting ahead of the things you need to do.
  • Don‘t overwhelm yourself: Block out buffer time for each task, if you don‘t, you‘ll end up in a vicious circle of stress, overwhelm and defeat
  • Create a timeline and be realistic
  • Limit distractions

Prioritizing as skillset

So yes, getting back on track is a struggle but feeling passionate about something, setting realistic goals and prioritizing bring structure and purpose back to your life and ease getting back on track.

Prioritizing is something not everybody is born with. The truth is it took me years to perfect my ability to keep priorities aligned, and I am still working on it.

I have to admit I am getting better even if life, technology, or financial markets are playing havoc and disrupting everything I planned. I still have to perfect my skillset so I can be back faster next time chaos hits me.

Take-Away

Seasons of changed priorities are vital to our well-being and productivity. Getting back on track, however, is equally important. Losing sight of priorities can lead to anxiety and depression.

Finding the way back can admittedly be a hard task. Setting realistic goals and prioritizing tasks accordingly is a good start to getting back on track.

Similar Posts