Priorities Revisited
2001 - with its turmoils and tragedies and triumphs - has yielded to 2002, leaving us with a plethora of memories and memorabilia. As we sort through it all, we wonder: what will this new year, still in its infancy, bring? What will we, as individuals and families, do with our energy, time, and finances this year?
To answer such questions and make wise decisions, we must first go back to one of the basics in our journey to live simply - our priorities. Have they changed in the past year? If so, in what ways? It is only natural that our priorities should change as we do, and we owe it to ourselves to re-evaluate them from time to time. As our priorities change, our goals quite naturally shift in order to accommodate them. What are our goals for this year? What do we, as individuals, wish to accomplish? What do we, as families or communities, hope to accomplish?
Once we have taken stock of our priorities and goals, we ask such questions as: How will we allocate our time and energy and money in order to best reflect our priorities and reach our goals? What needs to be taken care of immediately? What can wait a little longer?
When we have answered these questions honestly and to our satisfaction, we will be ready to implement our plans.
With our mental "housekeeping" completed, we are ready to move ahead, keeping our goals and priorities firmly in our minds. It is time to take a look at our environments and ask ourselves: How well does my home or office reflect my priorities? What needs to be changed, enchanced, or discarded? What is the best use of my time and energy?
On a personal note, I like to go through my closet a couple of times a year. I discard all the clothes and shoes that I haven't worn for a while, and take them to the free store. Less frequently, I go through various rooms and decide what to keep and what to donate. Old Christmas ornaments (without sentimental value), kitchen utensils, even books and CD's make their way to the free store. This is a win-win situation: I have less clutter, and someone who wants the items can now use them.
We may ask ourselves: which projects need to be completed? Which ones are the most important or pressing at this time?
Go To Page: 1 2
Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic
Latest Articles