One of the main problems I see that many people have is that they have all of their priorities mixed up. The get so bogged down in the day to day crises that come at them they have not taken the time to figure out why they are doing what they are doing. They do not realize that just because something seems urgent does not mean it is. If your baby is hungry that is urgent and important because I am pretty sure you believe feeding your child is urgent. If you are in the grocery store and your child is in the floor throwing a fit because they want some treat because you said “no” your child is making the problem urgent but it is really not important because you do not believe it is important to feed your child all of the treats they want.
The main way to make positive steps in your life is to set your priorities and make decisions based on them. Your priorities are determined by answering the question “Why were you put on this earth?” This question is not an easy question but it is something you should ask all of the time. To answer this question keep an eye open for patterns that you encounter with your personality. If you keep your eyes open you will begin to identify the answer to the question. This process will always be in development. It is like pealing an onion, once you start figuring out who you are and making decisions you will start to pinpoint who you are. Once you have gained enough life experience you will find the core of who you are. Even though this is an ongoing process answer the question to the best of your knowledge at this point in time.
Once know why you were put on this earth you can begin to identify the things that are important. If you believe you are supposed to be a bread maker then learning learning how to be a mechanic will not be a good priority unless it will help you become a bread maker like helping you pay for baking equipment. If you are supposed to be a bread maker but you become a mechanic for any reason other helping you become a bread maker you will be unhappy and never find fulfillment.
Once you know everything that is important to you you can then begin defining your priorities. If you believe it is important to pay for your kids college then buying a new car is second to saving for your kids college. Make a list of of your priorities and you will then be able to make decisions on your priorities.
I know many of you are saying that you do not have time to do this. If something is important to you you will make time for it. Also, I can very easily tell you what you priorities are. It is what you spend time on. If you watch a lot of TV or waste time on the internet then that is your priority. When you say you do not have time for something then you are saying you choose not to do something.
Finally, you have to get comfortable with the word “no”. When you begin to step through this process you will find that life will come at you. If you want to focus on what is important to you then you have to say “no” to the things that are not important.