Let’s talk about reprioritizing.
Reprioritizing can happen any time, but I think it’s especially necessary and relevant right now.
When we have a wrench thrown into our normal routines (I’m looking at you Covid-19), we have to pivot and figure out what we’re going to spend time on. To figure out what our priorities need to be. And that might require REPRIORITIZING.
But if you’re anything like me, you don’t make that leap smoothly or gracefully.
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The last two months have been a little rough for me thanks to a major pain flare up. Long story short, I didn’t have a plan in place to keep up with my workouts and my runs when the gyms closed down.
I HAVE to make time for my exercises to keep my hypermobile muscles strong enough to hold my bones together. So my hip and neck slipped out of place and I’ve been hurting ever since. (It took me this long to convince my Physical Therapists to get me in, but I’m on the road to recovery!)
Plus now that my kids don’t have access to their outlets like the gym daycare, playdates and playgrounds, my husband and I are solely responsible for their entertainment. If you’re home with your kids, you know how much TIME and PLANNING that can take!
Read More: Health Boosting Kids’ Activities
Now it’s spring and my family and I love spending time in our garden. And that takes TIME too.
So I’ve spent the last two months trying to do it all while managing pain and it’s been kind of a mess. While your story might be different, I’m guessing we’re all in the same boat of needing some space to REPRIORITIZE.
Before You Start Reprioritizing
Part of the process for me is allowing myself to have a few days of completely unscheduled time. Where I let go of all the strings I’m trying to hold on to and just let whatever happen.
This time, I didn’t follow my meal plan. I didn’t stick to my exercise regimen unless I felt like it. And I just enjoyed doing whatever sounded fun with my family.
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking that sounds pretty nice – why not do it all the time? Well, because of my hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, eating whatever I want and not exercising is the worst thing I can do for my body and my overall health and well-being. But doing it for a few days lets me enjoy not being disciplined all the time, and it reaffirms my commitment & motivation to get back to my healthy ways.
Enjoying time being spontaneous with my family, though – that’s something I definitely aspire to do more. Be in the moment. Take it slow. And enjoy time together.
How to Reprioritize (My Method of Reprioritizing)
Once I’ve gotten my rebellious need for no self-discipline out of my system (I limit myself to a couple of days maximum), I can get on the path that’s right for me by reprioritizing.
- I take a day (or a few hours) to do a big brain dump where I write down anything and everything that comes to mind.
- Then I reflect on what I need & want to do. This is where I decide what is important to me and what I will CHOOSE to spend my time on moving forward. Maybe I’m just getting back on track or maybe I choose a whole new track.
- Finally I plan it all out. This step always includes communicating with my amazing husband to make sure we’re on track as a family and that I can get any help I might need. This time, it’s making sure we’re prioritizing my workouts and runs!
Reprioritizing Can Be a Good Thing
Here are your takeaways:
It’s OK to shift.
You are not required to stubbornly continue working toward priorities that are truly no longer serving you. It’s ok to set new priorities that are a better use of your valuable time – especially if they better support your health & well-being and that of your family.
It’s OK to slack off.
Some people have superhero-level self-discipline and thrive best on structure. But it’s also totally ok to NOT be structured and disciplined ALL the time. In fact, you might need that space to get back in touch with what’s important to you and get your creativity flowing again!
Give yourself some guilt-free space to throw the rulebook out the window and just BE. Just consider setting a time limit and then plan to get back on track (or choose your new track).
It’s OK if your actions haven’t supported your priorities.
It happens to the best of us. I KNOW how important it is to prioritize my health because I’ve experienced the nasty fallout many times. Yet sometimes I fail to stick to my workouts and my runs.
Don’t waste time feeling guilty or beating yourself up over your past poor decisions. Every day, every week, every month is a new start. So take the time to listen to your needs, discover what’s important to you and then CHOOSE to do what you need to do.