In a world of a million tasks vying for your attention, how do you determine what to focus on and what to weed out? Most of us end up automatically prioritizing our job, our closest loved ones and entertainment without a further thought. But if you’re left wondering if something’s missing, you may be executing the wrong daily tasks first.
The solution lies in one magnificent question: what is the meaning of your life?
A friend recently pushed back when I talked about the meaning of my life being helping people re-connect to their natural creativity and something larger than themselves. He blurted, “How can you possibly know the meaning of your life?” Like many, he buys into the common notion that the profound meaning of his life will only reveal itself to him upon his deathbed, or at least when he’s well within his 60’s.
I’m here to challenge this belief. What is most meaningful to each of us is remarkably unique and for that reason can be discovered through personal development inquiry as soon as you are ready. My students birth these aha-moments on a weekly basis, and you can too. I recently helped the founder of a healing arts and therapy collective in San Francisco to discover that the meaning of her life was being in service of her own soul. By nourishing and pursuing the activities it takes to be at home with herself in her own skin, she ends up delivering a world of value and inspiration to all her community, clients and friends. Being someone who grew up in a huge family, the fact that the single most important thread of her life could be focusing on herself was a massive game-changer.
To determine what the most meaningful thing to you is, spend some time with the following questions.
“What does my body and soul long for on a regular basis?”
“What or who do I love more than anything else?”
“What have I turned to for positive uplift and support my entire life?”
If you’re still unclear, don’t sweat it. This personal discovery work is tricky. It takes a very deep dive, and if we are not used to focusing on ourselves- our thoughts, our feelings, our wishes- on a frequent basis, it will take practice and possibly some guidance to get behind the layers that keep us hiding and stuck in our habits.
1. Find your “A” Tasks
Once you have picked out 1-3 of the most meaningful experiences in your life, you want to start prioritizing them on your to-do list as “A” tasks. This is the first essential missing factor from our to-do lists if we want to leverage the maximum of what life has to offer us. Since uplifting people through creativity is one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, writing this article was an “A” task on my list today. These gems of fulfillment will not only make you feel better, stronger and happier, but when you put them in the first place, everything in your life up-levels – relationships, career and even material success.
2. Establish Your Prerequisite
The second key component that I find most people are missing from their daily list is a prerequisite. Your prerequisite is your personal balance point. It’s how you know to stop and take care of yourself above all else. For some, this might be when their digestive difficulties flare up or when their anxiety is on overload mode. Personally, I use the rule of thumb of kindness and humor. If I can’t interact with others in real time, over text or any which way with kindness and humor, something very wrong is up and I take a time out to get to the bottom of it right away.
You must claim your prerequisite and at least one “A” task daily before delving into other actions if you want to see results from these tips. The only things that come before them should be necessary, urgent items like “prepare for tomorrow’s presentation”, laundry or picking up kids from school. They are obvious and integral to completing your day.
If you are totally satisfied with your life the way it is now, these tools are not for you. However, if you’re looking to transform your days into something more beautiful and meaningful and create more energy and momentum towards your goals, you need a measure of inner balance (prerequisite) and meaning of life daily action (“A” tasks).
