July 16, 2020—When life gets busy and complicated, priorities can easily take a backseat. And if it continues, you can make a habit of it.
That's what Dave Mochel, CEO of Applied Attention Coaching and Consulting, says happens with everyone that gets caught up in life's daily tasks. The lecturer at Stanford University's School of Health and Human Performance says our brain trains itself to become better at the things we do every single day. In other words, if you don't take the time to focus on your priorities, you're less likely to treat them like one. This is why we get so good at procrastination.
"Your brain catalogs everything you do and will wire itself to become better at those things," Mochel says.
To get out of the rut and ensure you're putting more time into your priorities, Mochel provides this little tactic to implement into your routine.
1. Write Down What's Important to You
Every night, Mochel says to write down at least five to six things that are most important to you. It could be anything from family to living a healthy lifestyle.
2. Reflect on Your Day
Once you have your biggest priorities listed, take a look back at your day that day. How much of your day aligned with your priorities?
3. Plan Ahead
When doing this exercise, most people realize they aren't devoting to their priorities as much as they should. Awareness is the first step in this process, but now, you need to put it into action. Look over your weekly schedule and plan ahead of time when you will devote to each priority.
Soon devoting to your priorities will become a habit.
"The less we focus on circumstances and the more time we focus on priorities, the better we will be," Mochel says.
