What’s the 5 most important things in your life right now?
Can you name them? Can you narrow them down to just five?
We all want to spend our days doing the work that matters and living with intention, purpose and love.
But we often get hijacked by “responsibilities”, other people’s requests, busy work and – especially for us entrepreneurs – the latest shiny object or business strategy.
And sometimes you get so far off track one important priority gets nixed altogether.
For me it was exercise.
I knew I wanted to get back to the gym and particularly I really wanted to do Pilates twice a week.
I set the intention and then sat down with my schedule and a list of classes offered in my area.
Thankfully my local gym offers a class at the perfect time for me to sneak in 2 classes a week. I had to do a bit of rearranging and put my son on the bus in the afternoons. (Which he is loving so everyone wins!)
I reclaimed it as a priority and blocked it off on my calendar. I set an alarm on my phone for when to leave and I don’t schedule any calls or meetings that would potentially conflict.
Scheduling it as an external meeting ensured it wasn’t going to be hijacked. Let’s face it there is always more work to do. “I have just one more thing to do for work that I really must do. I can take the class later in the week.”
No. No you don’t.
The idea of making more space came to me in my first Pilates class back.
We were doing some stretching exercises where we do cat / cow while standing up… curling forward and bringing everything inward and then expanding out, arms stretched wide and chest open.
Ahhhhh!
It was exactly what I needed… what we all need.
The idea of making more space for what’s important is essential for everyone. It hit me. We have to expand and open up more to what we need – what we really desire. And as we expand we make more room. We invite in what we most want.
In this case, I was purposefully making time for exercise and making more space for breathing and quieting my mind.
So how do you make more space for what’s important?
Say No
You hear this time and again. Learn to say “No”. Easier said than done. But also so incredibly necessary!
I attended my son’s school PTA meeting recently. He has just started Kindergarten and I thought I could just pop in to see what PTA was all about and sit in the back of the room without gathering any attention. In the movies, PTA meetings have 50+ people in a huge auditorium. I thought no one would notice me if I slipped in and out. Oh, not the case. There were 20 parents in a small room, a name tag was handed to me and I quickly like there was no escape.
I declined signing up for anything too taxing. There was a lot of “no’s” that evening. I instead agreed to share room mom duty with two other moms. I knew I wanted to do a little something to meet other parents and this was just in line with what I was looking to do.
Say Yes
We’re advised to say NO a lot although it’s still a work in progress. But we also have to make sure to say YES too. The yes in this case is a YES to yourself. You are your number one priority. The way overused advise of putting on your oxygen mask before helping someone else put on theirs is used for good reason.
It is the truth. If you aren’t filled up you have nothing to give to others. So you need to make space to ensure you’re taking care of yourself and to rest, rejuvenate and replenish regularly.
It isn’t selfish it is necessary. You matter! Say Yes to you and make the space for your needs!
Set an Intention
If there is something you want to do or integrate into your life, set the intention.
Close your eyes and say out loud what you want. Once you set the intention though, set it free.
Don’t try and force it. Don’t make a huge deal out of it. Don’t set a desperate tone or time restrictions.
Simply be aware to what serendipitous opportunities, ideas and connections may arise now that you put your intention out in the world. Stay open. Be curious.
Be Intentional
Making space for what matters is an intentional practice. Often you have to take a hard look and a hard line when it comes to your time, resources and energy.
Ask yourself, “Has this week or my schedule gotten away from me?”
“Am I spending more time on other people’s urgent matters while completely neglecting my precious responsibilities and needs?”
Each week, review what’s worked the previous week and how you want your next week to roll out? Pull out your calendar and your to-do lists and make sure you’re doing what you want to be doing. Some weeks get pulled off course but make sure you course correct the following week.
If you’re intentionally reviewing your calendar, schedule and your priorities you will also find slots of time that open you up to do more of what matters most. Look for them. They are there usually staring you square in the face.
So what’s missing in your life? What do you want more of and what do you want less of. You know what it is. It really doesn’t take too much deep excavating to figure it out.
Just like contracting your body and expanding your body – you know what makes you contract and you know what makes you expand. The activities, connections and tasks that make you feel lighter, happier and more fulfilled. Lean towards adding more that fills you up and expands you!
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