If you’re interested in aligning actions with intent, here is an effective exercise we do at our leadership programs (RYLA).
For this example, let’s say there are 8 distinct areas of your life: Friends, Family, Money, Health, Spirituality, Career, Learning, Relationships.
Each area means whatever it means to you, and you can add additional areas if you please (but try to keep it to these options for now).
Now, rank each of these from your highest priority (Number 1) to your lowest priority (Number 8).
The rule is that each area must be its own distinct priority (ie. you can’t have two Number 1s).
And try not to let what you think “should” be prioritised, as this will get in the way of what’s truest to you in this moment.
Is your list in order?
Do that first before you move on.
Is it in order now?
Really?
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If so, draw a line under the top three priorities. You have the greatest likelihood of achieving goals in these areas. You have the lowest likelihood of achieving goals in the bottom areas, and the middle areas can go either way.
The order of these priorities will change over time, but this is a gradual process. The only way a bottom value can jump to the top quickly is through a sudden and dramatic impact. So let’s say you have Health at the bottom – if you experience a heart attack, it’s likely that Health will jump to the top of the list and it becomes a lot easier to eat healthily.
But overall, the order of your list right now should align pretty well with the actions you are taking (or want to take).
So if you’ve set a big goal in an area that’s at the bottom of the list, you may be finding it hard to achieve.
This doesn’t mean you won’t, it just means you’re not as aligned in that area as you are in others.
So perhaps focus first on your goals in the higher-priority areas, and go a little easier on yourself for now with those goals you have in the lower-priority areas (but with a view to gradually re-prioritise them if that’s what you really want).
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