PRIORITY…

1. a thing that is regarded as more important than another. 2. the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important. 3. the right to take precedence or to proceed before others.

It’s kind of a scary word, honestly. Most people pick inspirational words (like what I did last year).

But right now, at this junction in my life, I don’t need inspirational. I need a “gritty, in the trenches, scary” word to help get my life back on track.

Let me explain.

How My Life Is Prioritized Now

1. Work
2. Kids
3. Other Responsibilities – PTA, Events, Time Sucks
4. Household Upkeep
5. Husband
6. Me
7. Friends
8. Extended Family
9. Hobbies
10. God

This, my friends, is a recipe for disaster.

• By putting work first, I’ve been focusing on $$$ and other people’s impression of me for value. In addition, I’m also distracted all of the damn time because my office is inside my house.
• By having kids, other responsibilities, and household upkeep following work, I’m constantly focused on other people and their agendas, over the person who is suppose to be my partner in crime. He feels neglected and then we start feeling like roommates instead of lovers. And that sucks.
• And then those last five on the list are probably what bring me the most joy. And I’m treating them like an after thought. Something I fit in if I have the time.

Needless to say, my life has felt out of balance, out of whack, out of sorts, and a hot mess for the last six months.

So, my goal in 2015 is to put the right PRIORITY on the right THINGS at the right TIME.

How My Life Will Be Prioritized in 2015

1. God
2. Husband
3. Kids
4. Work
5. Me
6. Extended Family
7. Friends
8. Household Upkeep
9. Other Responsibilities
10. Hobbies

My goal is to make sure my top 5 are taken care of…if they are, then I will add to the list. If not, then the other things will need to slip and somehow life we carry on. Period.

How Am I Going To Do It?

1. God. I’m instituting a 20/20/20 ritual in 2015. I’ll talk more about it in the coming month, but essentially one of the “20” is 20 minutes of prayer/meditation/bible study every day.

2. Husband. Our kids are now old enough to spend two hours by themselves alone in the house, so it is time for mom and dad to reconnect. I’m making committment to a weekly outing with my husband that does not include our kids.

3. Kids. One afternoon a month, I’m taking one kiddo and we are going to do something they love to do. It may be a movie, buying a new book, walking aimlessly through Justice to look at Beanie Boos, whatever…I just need to connect with them in a one-on-one.

4. Work. Since work has dropped a few notches, I will be prioritizing what I spend my time on. My hope is that you won’t notice a difference on the website because we will just be more efficient in what we do. Focusing on the things you want to read about (we mined those out in the reader surveys and through analytics) and less on stuff you don’t care about.

5. Me. I’ll talk more about this in the coming months, but I’m in the process of writing a web series about “redefining you” for 2015. The articles will include weekly challenges, printouts, and activities. And the best part, I’ll be doing the challenges right along with you.

6. Extended Family. Our family will be planning on a couple more trips to see our extended family in Nebraska this year that will not fall around holidays. Sometimes you just need to see people because…not because it’s Thanksgiving.

7. Friends. I do a pretty good job of seeing my close friends, but I’m going to become better at just sending random texts to my friends letting them know I was thinking about them or think they are cool.

8. Household Upkeep. I’ve let my cleaning lady go and decided to hire my kids. Chores, with pay, are a good learning tool. Encourages those tax deductions to save for things they want, make wise decisions about money, and have a good work ethic. I’ll be sharing our chore chart and allowance chart in the upcoming months.

9. Other Responsibilities. I’m the PTA president-elect for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. I’ve decided this will be “it” for me for outside activities. I’m just going to prioritize one activity and do it really freakin’ well, and say “NO THANK YOU” to the rest.

10. Hobbies. It’s the wrong season of life to worry about them, so they are going away for 2015.

I love starting fresh. I love taking a moment, being introspective, and mapping out changes to help you grow in the upcoming year. It’s good to bare your soul for the world to see, cleanse it and start again. And this year, I will fight to keep each PRIORITY in check.

What about you? Do you have a focus word for 2015? What is it? Do you write New Year’s Resolutions? Think they are STUPID or SMART. Leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.