Are You Running Your Life or is Your Life Running You?
“It’s been another crazy week!”
“Why can’t I seem to accomplish anything?”
“Why am I always saying to my kids, ‘HURRY’?"
“I feel like everything I’m doing is done half way or never completed!”
“I’m feeling the need to make a change in life.”
If any of these statements resonate with you, it may be time to look at your life and evaluate your priorities. The rhythm of your life can get out of whack from time to time and you may need some major adjustments. If you lack purpose or are feeling overwhelmed, unproductive, or scattered, it’s time to re-evaluate. Think carefully and honestly about your relationships, activities, and work. Be open to the possibility that you might need to shift your priorities. It might be helpful to write down or tell someone the changes you feel are necessary. After you re-evaluate, you may start to see life in a new light and begin living more intentionally for the things that matter most to you.
In order to look at the bigger picture and discover your desired direction, ask yourself these questions:
What am I living for right now?
What do I want to live for in the future?
Consider the following:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish,” Proverbs 29:18
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Zig Ziglar
Now formulate a mission statement for your life. Make it simple, make it straightforward, make it important. And know that it will change over time. As you re-evaluate your priorities, activities that were at one time high on your list may become less important or drop off the list altogether. Align your profession and your passions with your mission. If you are open to rearranging your priority list, you may find yourself living a calmer and more productive life.
Next take time to review your mission statement and your new priority list. Consider the following:
1. What are your priorities? Be sure to include mental, physical, spiritual, and social. Remember Luke 2:52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom (mental) and stature (physical), and in favor with God (spiritual) and men (social).”
2. How are you currently spending your time? Evaluate your weekly schedule. Write it down or enter it into your phone or computer. Are you spending too much time on one area and not enough on others?
3. Are you satisfied with how you spend your time?
4. Are you taking care of yourself and your own personal needs?
5. What would you say is THE MOST important thing in your life right now?
6. What would you like to spend more time doing?
7. What do you want to spend less time doing?
8. What areas of your life need attention? Are there areas that should be dropped altogether?
9. Rank your activities in order of importance.
10.Think through the past year and more specifically the last 3 months. What areas were out of balance?
So, after evaluating your mission, and your priorities, it’s time to set some goals.
When setting goals make sure and remember to make them:
- doable, simple and not too complicated.
- obtainable
- realistic
- match up with your desired life
Once you have defined your mission, your priorities, your goals, it’s time to implement your new life plan. Set some objectives under each goal of how you practically are going to make changes. It’s one thing to decide what you need to do, it’s another to do it. Give yourself some time, determine if you are living life more fully and intentionally, and then enjoy your new, well-determined life.
Living a life that is smart and well thought out is one of the best ways to become a more productive person. Instead of running around with no direction, walk calmly through your days. You might feel like you are doing less, but you will be accomplishing more. And believe me, the people in your life will like you much better!
We all lose perspective from time to time and a little reflection does wonders. So be strong and take control.
Instead of letting your life run you, you run your life. You’ll be glad you did!
