I haven’t posted a blog post in over a week. The topic of today’s ( and this week’s) meditation is a reflection of my current challenge. This is a common challenge these days, as we all struggle to find the time to do what we want versus what the world is asking of us. Sometimes, it’s not even that the world is asking it of us; it’s just that we let things grab our attention that really don’t warrant it and certainly not for the lengths of time we devote to these things. You could say that’s a characteristic of social media, television or video games; maybe you have a personal time waster that takes up more of your time than you’d like. So this week, I’m making an effort to get back on track.
I took a piece of paper and divided it up into six quadrants. At the top of each box, I wrote several things: practice, nutrition, finances, business development and some other things. I started to write tasks in each box, things like, “Pick 3 times this week that you will take class or practice at home.” Just the act of writing it down (no computer) made me feel better. I had a chance to take a class yesterday and did and one of the quadrants was about preparing for winter and I used a block of time yesterday to do some shopping for a new winter coat so I’m ready for the treks back and forth from the studios in the cold. I also stopped at Whole Foods and bought healthy breakfast items for the week.
We need to start with our priorities in order to live lives that have meaning. Our priorities come from our values and our values come from many things but most of all, our character. Sometimes we can start backwards; that is, from the tasks, then to the priorities and then better identify what we value. But sometimes, we need to reestablish what it is we value in order to get clear on how WE wish to be spending our time.
I look forward to the week ahead and doing what matters to me.