We are week one into the new year! Sadly, this is often the time where many good intentioned people who started with new year resolutions give up and go back to normal life. The pressures of everyday life can easily overwhelm our newfound ideals, and crush us so we think twice before starting out again. Here’s three ways to filter new commitments.
Know your priorities
Before anything can be decided on, you have to have a hierarchy of priorities. If you’re given an opportunity for two good, yet conflicting, things – which one do you choose? By knowing ahead of time your priorities, you will not only be able to decide quicker, but also firmer. This allows you to dive all in for the things you truly want to do, and keeps you from the things you don’t want to do.
Count the cost
After knowing your priorities, you still have to evaluate each opportunity based on how it’ll “cost” you. Before choosing to take yet another new year resolution, or commitment onto your schedule, consider how much time and energy that commitment will take. This not only keeps you fro becoming overloaded with too many things to do, but it allows you to fully invest into the things you’ve chosen.
Say “no” well
I was recently listening to an episode on Michael Hyatt’s podcast titled, “How to say no without feeling guilty”. Learning how to say no to people in a way that keeps your schedule from becoming overbooked, but also shows how much you value the person or organization asking for you time, money, or talents, is a great skill that can be learned. I don’t want to spoil his episode, so you’ll have to listen to it to get his advice on it. I’ll just say I love his podcast and thought it was one of his best episodes.
I hope this helps you keep a valuable schedule as we’ve entered into 2016. Have you started any new year resolutions or recent commitments? How have you kept yourself from becoming overbooked?