What Are Your Priorities?

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."
-Ben Stein

At the end of every winter as warm weather and sunshine approach, I find myself keenly aware of where I'd like to be spending my time. Outside as much as possible! I think the changing of the seasons is a great time to re-evaluate our life and what areas we would like to change. After all, if you don't know what you want, it's impossible to get it.

Take a moment now to evaluate your quality of life. Do you know what you want from this life before your time is over? On the suggestion of a good friend, I sat down recently and wrote out a list of my personal priorities. It was a very eye-opening and useful experience. Once I could see clearly (on paper!) my true, personal priorities it was obvious what small changes I could make in order to more fully live my life the way I want. It is a very motivational experience that left me feeling fully "alive".

Thinking about your professional life, what are your priorities? You might want that promotion, corner office or dream job. It's important to have clear goals but you also need a plan to get yourself there. When you look at your choices each day, ask yourself if they are helping you make progress toward your envisioned future or not. Once you have identified the actions that are hindering you, it is easy to let them go. You can begin to focus on making more choices that are in-line with your professional vision and growth plan.

Take this opportunity to start new growth. Lay down some constructive plans for your quality of life and professional development. Who knows what your life could look like this time next year!

Deirdre Maigread McEachern is a personal coach who helps herclients experience more joy in their lives. You can contactDeirdre for a complimentary consultation at 207-439-4280 orjoin her free monthly newsletter at http://www.vip-coaching.com.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Coaching Information:

Related Articles

Transitions: Moving Through Change With Grace
MOVING THROUGH CHANGECreating any major change in our lives can also create feelings of discomfort. Tiredness, confusion, and uncertainty are among the many emotions that can be experienced.
A Quick Checklist for Improving Your Life
1. Learn About YouIf you don't know who you are and why you think and act the way you do, it's gonna be really difficult to make any positive changes in your life.
A World of Possibility
When I started my sales career over 25 years ago, I worked for a small company selling telephone answering equipment. Hard to believe it but in those days I had to explain to prospects what the equipment was for and why they might want to use it.
Hows Your Self-Talk?
You know, what are you saying to yourself? There's always something going on in there. Do you make positive statements about yourself to yourself or are you beating yourself up with your own words?"Know thyself" is a statement that comes to mind.
How Could Choosing to Not Do It All Enhance Your Impact?
How often have you heard yourself say, "I've got so many balls in the air I don't know how I can possibly keep track of them all".We may be managing to keep the balls in motion, but how good is our juggling performance really? Are our movements controlled and rhythmic? Or are we merely gritting our teeth and hoping to catch the next ball before it falls on the ground?Recently I was speaking with a colleague (we'll call him Craig) who is a high achievement-oriented and well-regarded senior manager.
The Value of Career Coaching and Its Effect on Productivity
Athletes the world over have coaches. Yet, workers whose very livelihood depends on their ability to perform well on the job are often unaware of the merits of a career coach.
Growing On G.R.O.W - A More Specific Coaching Model For Busy Managers
The effective coaching of employees by their line managers is fast becoming an expectation from both senior management and from the employees themselves. Many managers are now being taught how best to coach their employees by employing the standard coaching model called G.
Profitable Idea Generation in 4 Steps Using Improv
A large percentage of business are stuck, tied to narrow ways of thinking about themselves and their products. In the business environment you can't be stuck and survive.
God, Grant Me Patience.....And, I Want It Now!!
Are you facing a difficult time in your life? Do you feel like a fish out of water? If today was a fish, would you want to throw it back in the river? If this is your situation, make no negative destructive decisions. Be Patient.
THE Step to Working Smarter (Japanese Style)
Remember that Coke contest from the 80s? If you collected bottle tops that had the letters to spell T-H-E R-E-A-L T-H-I-N-G, then youd win a zillion dollars.Im not sure where the drink industry turned the corner but contests and advertisements are no longer all you will find on the underneath side of bottle caps.
The X-factor
Would you agree that today most of us have the same set of opportunities and the same set potential?If you agree with me, then perhaps you might like to consider this puzzling question: if we all have the same opportunities and potential why are some people more successful than others?It could be said that some people are more privileged than others, and while this is certainly true, you could argue that there is proof in every day life of people who started off with zero and went on to accumulate incredible wealth. It could be said that some people have better academic ability than others and while this is true you could argue the case of all the people who achieved success after years of under-achieving in education.
Is Coaching For You?
More and more people have less and less time, but have greater demands both personally and professionally. This situation has resulted in the emergence of personal coaching within four basic areas: Financial, Physical or Fitness, Life or Career and Executive Performance.
We Are Exactly Where We Choose to Be
The idea for this month's newsletter came from an unlikely encounter: I recently had lunch with a new friend named Rick Rockwell. You may remember him as the bachelor from the first-ever reality TV show, "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"During our meeting, Rick described some of the knowledge he gained from doing the show, along with a few of past his experiences in business, ethics, and of course, primetime romance.
Let Go of Your Past
People have a difficult time letting go of the past because they are held back by unfinished business. They may regret choices they have made or feel guilty about past actions.
3 Keys to Making Small Talk Easy to Do
Small talk used to be really hard work for me. I never knew what to say and I always worried about saying the wrong thing.
Living On Purpose
The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. Those individuals who live their lives 'on purpose' are not prone to wondering what the meaning and purpose of their life is.
Do You Want to Impress Others? Then Don't Talk ?Listen
Recently my friend Michelle was concerned about a professional conference she was planning to attend with her husband, a veterinarian. She has no background in veterinary science, so she did not think she would be able to effectively communicate with the people at the conference.
Media Underload! The Stress Reducing Psych-Diet
The war, taxes, the economy, increased health problems, crime on the rise, overwhelming divorce rate, corruption in corporate America, and, oh yes, Janet at the Super Bowl! Where does it end? With so much going wrong, whats going right in the world?It is times like these that I find myself mired down in the muck spewing forth from every media outlet. Like water dripping on a sponge, this negativity begins to seep in and pervade my thoughts and influence my reactions to the world around me.
Mid Life Crisis and the Great American Dream
One of the mainstays of American culture is the "Great American Dream". Immigrants would uproot their families and leave their homeland in the hopes of experiencing the freedom and opportunity that awaits them in America.
How to Choose the Right Coach for You
So you want to hire a coach but with so many choices it's easy to feel overwhelmed. How do you find the coach that is right for you? It can seem like a daunting task so here are some guidelines to help you make the right decision for you.