Priority Management

Well, it is no coincidence that my last blog post was in early March - things at work went crazy the week of March 4th. Someone in my group resigned, and I was tasked with covering both my job and their job over the next 6 weeks or so until a replacement was named. Most of the time it was fairly manageable, but it definitely did mess up my blogging schedule!

Usually I blog right when I get home from work - which had been around 5:15 or 5:30, leaving plenty of time to exercise, eat and relax afterwards. While I was covering both jobs I was getting home closer to 6:30 or 7, so something had to go!

Which brings me to the topic of priorities. If you want to start losing weight and/or exercising, of course the first step is having a plan - you guys know I love plans! But even the best plan only works if you consistently prioritize and execute it. One of the biggest challenges with weight loss/maintenance and with exercising is sticking with it when something changes in your life (such as a schedule adjustment like I had).

When it comes to sticking with a plan, I think it is helpful to literally list out your priorities. For me, the list looks like this:

1) Cover living expenses- put in enough time to cover basic job responsibilities (aka don't get fired!)
2) Maintain my relationships with my family & Sam, give the dogs some love each day
3) Maintain my health - namely weight maintenance via diet and/or exercise, getting enough sleep
4) Excel at my job - putting in extra time to be a high performer, take on extra work, etc.
5) Meeting running/exercise goals I have set for myself (beyond just weight maintenance)
6) Take time to relax - manage stress by reading or watching TV or browsing Pinterest or whatever!
7) Maintain relationships with my friends, attend social events, etc.

And the list would go on... (somewhere way down the list is blogging... which would still be slightly above 'doing the dishes' if I had it my way!)

Everyone's list is going to be different. For me, a very important distinction is that #1 and #4 are separate. I work in a competitive environment where lots of people work long hours, and most of us constantly feel behind. I've learned over the past few years to get more comfortable with that feeling, and if I need to leave work before everything is done in order to make sure I get a healthy dinner and time to exercise then I do. The work can get done the next day. Having a priorities list is a reality check - as long as I've done enough each day to stay employed, everything else is down at priority #4!

Not only can a list give you a reality check, but it can also serve as an affirmation. Over the past few months I felt guilty at times about not keeping up with friends or the blog, etc. But when I thought about it more, instead I felt proud - I realized that I was using my time consistent with my priorities to the best I could. I didn't gain any weight and kept up my running even through a stressful time at work, although my social life/relaxation time and the blog definitely suffered!

Priority setting is a personal thing, so be honest with yourself about what makes you happy and brings you satisfaction. Then, live your life accordingly! When things get too busy, instead of dropping the hardest/most inconvenient thing from the list (like exercising), drop off the lowest priority items. Later you will be proud of yourself for prioritizing well, not disappointed that you didn't meet your goals.