We all go through different phases in our lives, and some of those phases have transitional periods where our day-to-day lives can be a bit more confusing than normal. Sometimes these phases get dragged out, or we don’t even know why we’re in them to begin with, and suddenly we look around we’re not quite on the path we meant to be on. When you don’t have your priorities in order, it’s easy to go off the rails, and while it’s certainly possible to get back on track, you first have to be aware of the problem. Here’s how to tell if you need to get your priorities straight so you can move on with your life.
- You’re not talking to your best friends. Things can change a bit after moves or big life events, but if you have some best friends that you’ve known for years but you’ve been neglecting them to hang out with new acquaintances, think about why. New friends are cool too, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
- You’re money hungry but unhappy. Money is great – we all need more money! However, you also need a healthy quality of life, and not being happy with your job is a major energy drain. There needs to be a balance, otherwise you’re not even going to enjoy spending all that cash.
- You’re not making moves toward your goals. Your dreams can change over time, but if they’ve remained the same and it’s just that you’ve lost some of your drive, it’s time to get your wheels pointed in the right direction again so you can start making progress towards achieving some goals.
- You’re more focused on finding a husband than being self-sufficient. You can certainly have both, but the point is to focus on the latter. Instead of counting on a man to save you, become your most productive self and then the right guy won’t be able to do without you.
- You’re all TV and no creativity. I get it – there are SO many shows to watch – so many, in fact, that you’ll never be able to get through them all. If you’re spending several hours a day in front of the TV, you might be neglecting your other interests and squandering your creativity.
- You go the gym instead of hanging out with friends. Yes, getting in sufficient weekly workouts should be one of your priorities, but know when spending time with your girls laughing will just as good for your well being as a calorie burning session would. You’ve already been four times this week – taking a day off won’t kill you.
- You don’t think your 80-year-old self would be proud. You’re the only person who can know if your priorities are on track, so when you imagine yourself 50 years from now, what do you see looking back? You don’t want to end up with regrets.
- You’re totally self-involved. You have to be, to a certain extent, because who else is going to make you number one? But making time to be a good friend, and a good sister, and a good partner are the type of things that you should be concentrating, not how you can serve your own interests before everyone else’s.
- You never see your family. Family time isn’t always the most fun activity, nor is paying huge plane ticket fees to get to them. But ask any grandparent what’s most important to them and they’ll probably say their family over pretty much any excuse you’ve got not to hang with them.
- You’re too busy to date at all. Are you really, or is being “busy” a way to protect yourself from all the mean boys out there? There are also nice ones luckily, and cultivating meaningful relationships is probably an important part of our existence. Make room to be surprised by the good stuff.
