It might not seem obvious, but knowing your values and priorities is extremely important for getting a good night of sleep. With so many variables vying for our attention, we have to examine how we spend each moment and prioritize so that we have ample time for sleep.
Every day I make a checklist of all of the things I want to get done. I try my best to stay on task and not to deviate (but I always do). I also number my checklist in the interest of prioritizing the items since most days I don’t complete all of the tasks. This helps me to direct my energy to the things that are most important, while also helping me to ration time for other tasks I need to take care of by the end of the week.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, having difficulty prioritizing, or need to center myself, instead of writing a “To-Do” list, instead I’ll write a “To Feel” list. It might look like this:
To Feel List:
- Awe
- Curiosity
- Love
- Inspiration
- Connected
It never fails. When I take the time to think about my “To Feel” list, my mind shifts from the endless list of mundane tasks to the infinite choices available moment to moment in the way I go about accomplishing all of the tasks on my list. And all of a sudden, this mindset shift energizes me (and often makes me reprioritize).
What’s on your “To Feel” list?