Time to prioritise

Kanisa George

LIKE MOST eternal optimists, I tabulated a list of my top priorities at the start of this year in bid for greatness.

Ranking each based on importance and complexity, I considered myself pretty well placed to take on the year and surpass my expectations.

Now, with only a few shut-eyes left until the new year is upon us, the goals I prioritised at the beginning of the year feel like distant dreams, and I am here yet again grappling with the loss of what never was.

In some ways I feel proud of the strides I made this year and the steps, no matter how small, I’ve taken to improve my overall well-being and quality of life. That being said, I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness for the things left undone and an unreasonable amount of shame caused by my ineptitude in prioritising my priorities.

Most of us know what we want to achieve, and conceptualising same by making a schedule of goals might be the easiest and arguably one of the most exciting parts of the process.

It is the transition, however, from the goal-setting stage to actually getting things rolling, that can cause a massive hiccup.

Make it a priority.

As we adapt to new challenges and changes, we also have to reclassify what we prioritise. Making a mental note in order of importance, or being intentional about where what lies in the hierarchy, is easy pickings; the difficulty usually sets in when we clearly understand what those priorities are but aren’t able to prioritise them. We sadly become blinded by the unmatched, rootless paradox of choice.

Instead of narrowing our focus on what we know to be the right choice, we become swept up in analysis paralysis, deliberating whether the choice we know we must make is the right one. And this unnerving back and forth, ladies and gentlemen, can only be blamed on fear.

At the source of stagnation lies a fear so destabilising that even when we’re on the right path, we are afraid of everything outside our control. The only way to defeat passivity is by not allowing fear to harness your power. Acknowledge and be mindful of it, but push forward with strength and hope despite it.

As much as we think prioritising is logical, it is far from it. Our ability to prioritise is a profoundly emotional task often influenced by several factors, like our desires and perceived shortcomings. The more emotionally draining a task, the more likely we are to delay it to postpone discomfort. Even though it is good for our well-being in the long run, we prefer to focus on tasks that will allow momentary gratification.

Emotional bias – coupled with fear and self-doubt – cripples us and clouds our judgement to the point where we lose sense of where our focus should be.

One study suggests the importance of high self-awareness in overcoming emotional barriers. You have a front-row seat to your emotions, triggers, and doubts, so only you can be aware when these emotions try to usurp the order.

Instead of focusing on the emotions that seek to overwhelm you, tap into what motivates your choices and why the hierarchy exists in the first place. This level of introspection permits a far more rational and practical thought process, enabling you to develop situational awareness and resilience to weather the storm.

Knowing what you want to achieve is one thing; having a clear view of what it takes to achieve it is another. So, while you may prioritise a goal or task, a lack of clarity might impede how you achieve it.

Research shows that some might find it challenging to stay motivated without a clear plan and a proper strategy to achieve it. This can lead to procrastination and feelings of frustration, which inevitably lead to our inability to prioritise our tasks.

I read once that when everything becomes a priority, nothing is a priority, so we must be willing to say no.

“People think focus means saying yes to what you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundreds of other good ideas that exist. What’s truly important is learning to say no to everything else, then taking decisive action to stand by your priority and make it happen.”

Ultimately, whatever fuels your desire must be matched by an unwavering determination to stick with it, come what may, and stand firm in the knowledge that it can be done.