In this module, you’re learning tips, tricks, and strategies on how to live authentically. A big part of living authentically is setting your life priorities. This lesson will explore life priorities and show you several benefits of figuring out what your life priorities are.

Every now and then, you may ponder the complexities and maybe even some chaos in your life. You might struggle to figure out what's next. Maybe you feel confused at times about which way to go. Have you thought about setting your life priorities to make your life easier?

When you're struggling to determine what's important to you, it's hard to make decisions. What will you do next? Where will you go for the evening? Who will you choose to pass the time with?

Feeling torn between two or more people, places and things is common if you haven't yet identified your priorities. After all, when you consider everything and everyone in your life as all-equal in terms of their "level" of importance, it's going to be tough to choose what to do next.

Setting your life priorities is a way of identifying what's most important to you. Once you determine your priorities, you'll be pleased with the ease of making decisions and the serenity that comes with knowing you did the right thing.

Establishing priorities also gives you a clearer focus on how to allot your time. If you allot the bulk of your time to doing what's most important with the most important people in your life, you'll feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life experiences.

Common Life Priorities

What might your priorities be? The possibilities are endless. In the list below, you'll find many common priorities in no particular order. Feel free to use the list as inspiration to help you figure out your own priorities.

●     Family

●     Finances

●     Friends

●     Extended family

●     Work

●     Hobbies

●     Personal appearance

●     Health and physical exercise/activities

●     Nutritious eating

●     "Alone-time" with partner

●     Quality time with the children

●     Playing games on the internet

●     Talking on the phone

●     Watching television

Example of a "Prioritized" Listing of Life Priorities

The whole idea of setting priorities is to put the many elements of your life into an order, with those that are most important to you at the top. Knowing your highest priority on the list is necessary in order to make focused, wise decisions that are right for you.

Consider this next list, which is prioritized, as an example of someone's life priorities (in order).

1.   Family

2.   Alone-time with partner

3.   Work

4.   Health and physical exercise

5.   Nutritious eating

6.   Friends

7.   Watching television

8.   Personal appearance

9.   Hobbies - movies and reading

Coming Up With Your Own Priorities

Setting your priorities in life may take time and effort. However, taking the time to reflect on your day-to-day life and determine what's on the top of your list will make your life so much easier. Once your priorities are clear to you, decisions on how to spend your time and with who will be a cinch.

Engaging in this exercise of figuring out your priorities might reveal some things that shock or surprise you.

For example, you might realize that you're spending most of your time hanging out with friends even though you feel that your family is more important. Or you aren't taking as much care with your kids as you thought you were.

Regardless of what you discover that you weren't expecting, setting your priorities now will help you limit or even remove the less-important elements of your life and enable you to focus more fully on what means the most to you.

You can live more joyfully by setting your life priorities. Knowing what's important to you and devoting your time to those things at the top of your list will ensure you experience an enriched and fulfilled life. Set your life priorities today.

To help you in your journey to authenticity, in the next lesson, we dare you to be yourself!

AFFIRMATIONS

I live my life based on what is important to me.

I find that when I am clear with myself about my life priorities, I make the best choices of how to spend my time.

 When I choose to do what is important to me, I feel happier and more excited about my day. My life is a great adventure because I live how I want to.

I make each day count. During my work time, I invest my energies into job-related tasks. I pour my all into work while I am there. The career aspect of my life is fulfilling and I am proud of the job I do.

The place in my heart for my family is secure and strong. Regardless of the stresses that may come my way today, I still spend time strengthening connections with those I love. The quality of such relationships are at the top of my priorities. 

My spouse and children matter more to me than anything else. Spending time with them brings me joy and contentment.

When I stay connected with the people, places, and things I love, I feel like I am living my best life.

Today, I devote my time to doing things that reflect my life priorities. I love my job and my family and the choices I make today reflect those feelings. I am living my best life because my priorities are clear to me.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Are my priorities in life clear to me? What are my top five priorities?

2. Do my day-to-day choices reflect my top priorities?

3. What can I do to ensure that I live my life according to what is important to me?

AFFIRMATIONS

I am steadfast about my values.

There is a set of standards by which I abide with faithful loyalty. I am steadfast about my values because they are part of who I am.

The values that I have chosen for myself reflect my beliefs about appropriate behavior. I have chosen these values for myself because they help me be the person I desire to be.

I passionately abide by my convictions in order to remain true to myself. Being loyal to my values and myself keeps me from losing my way chasing after false dreams. I am resolute about finding and carrying out my purpose in life.

Peer pressure is powerless against me. I am unshakable about my beliefs regardless of what others say. When I decide to complete a task, my steadfast attitude gets me through it.

The way I carry myself is a direct reflection of my values. I continue to hold on to my values even through troubling circumstances where it would be much easier to compromise.

I am loyal to my spouse, even when it may seem justifiable to stray, because I love my spouse and I am a faithful person. 

I speak truth at all times, even when a lie would benefit me, because I am honest and trustworthy.

I give to others, even when keeping what I have for myself would help me build wealth, because I enjoy sharing my blessings with those who are not as fortunate.

Today, I choose to stand on my values with a steadfast attitude even if those I love chose to compromise their own standards.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What are my priorities?

2. What are my values?

3. How can I resist the temptation to compromise my values?