Priority Re-balancing: 5 Steps To Regaining Lost Focus

Are you experiencing a lull in one priority of your life that you once found very focused, energized, and productive? May be it is your marriage, your fitness program, or a hobby.
No matter what area of your life, following these five steps to reignite your flame.

1. Identify the priority you would like to re-energize.

Is it your marriage, a fitness program, your nutrition, your spirituality, a hobby?

2. Write a list of your behaviors during the time you were feeling focused in that priority of your life.

• If marriage is your area, were you and your spouse committed to a regular date night, did you kiss when you saw each other at the end of the day?
• If exercise is your area, were you at the gym 2-3 nights a week, taking an exercise class on the weekends?
• If your hobby is your area, were you devoting a certain amount of time to enjoying the hobby?

3. Consider your community. Who was involved in your life at that time that supported your priority?

• Was it the sales person at the hobby store?
• Was it your workout buddy or a person you met in an exercise class?
• Was it your spouse, a co-worker who would inquire about this area, your children, or a relative?

4. Reconnect with those supportive people (your community) and maintain regular contact.

Contacting them can be as simple as sending an email, a quick phone call, or meeting for coffee. Do not feel pressured to jump into your old, focused ways immediately. Simply contacting these people will motivate you to get back on track.
Also, do not feel embarrassed that you have fallen away from your priority. The people you contact will be more than happy to rejuvenate you. In fact, you will provide an opportunity for them to recommit to and boost their efforts.

5. Understand that anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first.

Know that you will eventually rebalance your life, but there could be many slips in the meantime. A balanced life takes constant re-evaluations. Periodically, reassess your life with these 5 steps.

Nothing feels better than having your priorities balanced and having your behaviors and life practices reflect that. Although labeling an aspect of your life a priority implies that is will always take precedence, real life teaches us a different lesson.

When you are feeling that the priorities you once had at the top of your list are slipping, use these five steps to regain your focus and build the supportive community needed to stay focused on your priorities.