“How important is it?”
I learned about this self-reflective question several years ago, and I find myself really asking myself this daily of late.
"How important is it?" - A seemingly simple question - but it can have profound answers and wisdom hidden in it for you.
Especially on Monday mornings, I tend to have the "Rome is burning!" attitude towards the week. I look at all the things I want to accomplish, all the goals I am setting for myself and honestly, that alone can be super overwhelming. On top of that, there are text messages, emails, phone calls, requesting my time, attention and energy. Sometimes, by Monday nights, I was so exhausted, I would just want to crawl in a hole and give up on the week!
Asking myself: "How important is it?" allows me to take a breath, and discern what really needs my immediate energy and what I can let go of, push pause on, or maybe even ask for help with.
"How important is it?" The phone buzzes: Text Message! - - maybe I need to answer that in a timely manner... or perhaps it is something that can wait until I have finished my workout, prepared and packed my lunch for the day, prayed or journaled.
"How important is it?" Checking emails - filtering the ones I can leave or mark "unread" and come back to.. the ones that need my immediate attention - I reply to now so they are not hanging over my head adding to the overwhelm.
"How important is it?" Disagreement or confrontation at work: - Is this interaction worth my energy? Does this person matter in the big picture of my task, my day, my position, my career? Is this behavior a pattern of this person's that I need to address with management to minimize confrontation in the future?
"How important is it?" Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired? Do these things need my immediate attention? Maybe the answer is "yes"! Or perhaps it is good to check in with yourself and evaluate how you are feeling throughout your day.
"How important is it?" Can this wait? Is there a need of mine - exercise, nutrition, sleep, mental clarity, spiritual serenity - that is more important to me in this moment?
It is absolutely OK to put your own needs first. In fact, you may notice you show up as a better person (mom, wife, friend, boss, co-worker, daughter/son, human) when you have asked yourself this important question, paused, and took some time to evaluate what is best for you.
Make it a great Monday!