What's your biggest priority on a daily basis?
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 06:25PM 
I read a SteadyMom post a couple weeks ago and the simple point was that her goal for each day was peace. Simply peace. It was more important than accomplishing lots of things, or making fancy meals, she wanted the motive behind the day’s choices to be a desire for peace.
To be honest, I first sniffed at it a bit because I thought about all the reasons why that’s not possible. Schedules, deadlines, classes, kids in bad moods, parents in bad moods, illness … I can babble on but you get the idea. It’s not realistic, is it? It’s just not possible. Or is it? My excuses sound and look pretty flimsy when listed out like that. Besides …
I simply can’t forget it. It’s been eating at me as I grow impatient with my boys, as my to-do-list grows longer, and my clients (seem, in my imagination,) to be impatient with me. It’s why the header is what it is this month … I went to make an idea board and put it up on the wall just over my laptop screen, but then realized I’ll never see it there anyway, and I can’t avoid it here. So here it is, for all of you to see.
I want more peace in this house. I’m never going to have quiet boys, or dramatically change personalities, but it could be a lot better than it is. And it starts with me. I have to start prioritizing it above other things. The number one competitor for top billing in my priority list is accomplishment. It’s so tied into my psyche that it’s not going to just disappear overnight. It’s a handy thing to have around, that drive to get stuff done, but it often derails the peace train. It often has no reason or right to either. I could put that thing down and pick it up again later. I overpromised on my deadlines again, why? The client didn’t ask for it. I chose it.
What’s the biggest priority that drives your daily decisions and choices? It’s not like there’s one clean cut answer on the tip of your tongue, but if you look back over the last few days, what’s the biggest driving force? I’d love to know. And I’d love to change mine. A banner isn’t going to do it, but it’s me stating my intention, in a way that I have to see every day, in the hopes that I’ll find ways to start tweaking the choices I make minute-by-minute.
Reader Comments (4)
I love that. (And I love the new banner. Beautiful.) I can totally see how setting peace as the number one priority each day could transform your home, transform your family's individual lives. Chaos often reigns here, too, with three raucous boys and a girl, and I have times every day where the noise of it all drives me insane. I really like the idea of keeping peace present in my mind and foremost in my daily actions. Thank you for this.
jen
Thanks Jen! And you're most welcome of course, hope you've had a good week. -- SaneMom
I love (and appriaciate) your shift in perspective. I recently became very drained on everything that I was doing and adopted a new way of being. Everyday I start my day with an intention to be CALM, CONTENT and CONNECTED. If I accomplish those three things during the day-it was a good day.
Oh I like that set of three too, good ones. Now to convince myself that having fun, etc. is actually a good enough goal!
As you know, I started the Happiness Tuesday Posts a few months ago with the idea that amoung other things, it would force me to see the beauty that surrounds our everyday lives even in the midst of all the chaos. It's working pretty well, although some weeks I am adding a few sarcastic comments that I choose not to print, but hey, it's a process, right?
Now on a nosey level, please email me with all the details of the comment you left on my post the other day. What kind of company? does it still exist? Am I the noseiest person you know? That sort of thing. Lol
I've been loving your happiness tuesday posts, they're such a positive perspective. They remind me of habit, a blog I love for it's daily dose of reality and quiet. super enjoyable and calming.
and yes it's a process, so what if you have to delete the sarcasm ;) ! sent you a sep email, and no you're not the nosiest person I know :).
Peace and patience are definitely two of my goals these days, along with the little ritual of at the end of the day taking a deep breath and forgiving myself for those moments when I didn't achieve the goal, letting it go so I can start fresh in the morning. I recently read "Choosing to See" about the loss of a little girl and the impact it made on changing the way they see the world. Tough tough, but also given me new courage to try and cherish every day more, messy or not. Messy is OK. In fact, messy can be fun. As long as it's filled with love. I wouldn't say that living each day as if it were your last (or theirs) is an easy philosphy or one for everyone, but it has made a difference in the way I act. Not a crazy dramatic shift like keeping them home from school or not disciplining or that sort of thing, but a little softer, a little more patient. Less yelling, more hugs. And seeing things as a little more special for their transience.
Oh Karin, the forgive myself part ... that's so very very hard for me, thanks for the reminder! Taking each day as it comes, for the joy and sorrow it will contain, and sucking it dry. I need to keep that close to my heart. thank you :).