Be specific with your priorities: Set goals

Last week, I wrote about how you can identify what’s truly important to you in your life. Now, let’s get specific, so we can make your vision a reality.

Now that you’ve reflected on the main categories of your life, we’re going to set goals to reflect where you’d like to be regarding each category.

In some of these areas, you may already be living life as you’d like it to be, and in other areas, there may be a mismatch between what you’d like your life to look like and what it currently is. In this exercise, you’ll gain awareness of where you are now and where you’d like to be.

  1. What goals and projects (activities, responsibilities, things you do) do you have in each category?
  2. Do you feel fulfilled by the combination of goals and projects listed here? Does the list feel “complete”?
  3. In an ideal world, would you remove any goals and/or projects from this category, i.e., would you take anything off your list?
  4. In an ideal world, would you add any goals and/or projects to this list? Is there anything that you feel is missing that you’d like to add?

Run through this exercise for each of the 10 priorities categories. You’re finished when each category feels fulfilling to you.

Now, try to take in the 10 categories together. Do they make for a fulfilling, purposeful life? It may be difficult to hold everything you’ve written in mind at the same time, but allow your gut feeling to guide you here. Does your intuition tell you something is missing? Or does this feel like a pretty good life?

Your identity can help you effortlessly stick to a habit

The strategy of identity is very powerful in shaping our habits.

Your weekly reminder to ask yourself, “What is important to me?”

How to prepare for holiday expenses ahead of time.

Sometimes we need to be flexible in the moment in order to maintain our consistency in the future.

If you can’t reach for joy in the current moment, give yourself some grace. We aren’t always meant to be happy, and that’s okay.

What is most important to you? Identify your priorities

One of the biggest stressors in an otherwise fortunate life is to not be living the life you want. It may sound like your life is great, but unless it reflects your idea of what’s important, it may not feel fulfilling to you.

But how can you identify your unique priorities? There are so many things to think about and so many things you find important in life, you may not even know where to start.

In order to make identifying your priorities feel less overwhelming, I invite you to consider the main categories of your life:

  1. Work & Mission
  2. Learning
  3. Finances
  4. Health
  5. Family
  6. Friends
  7. Care
  8. Relaxing & Fun
  9. Spirituality
  10. Purpose & Fulfillment

What is important to you in each category? What would you like to add in (some of) these categories to make them feel more in alignment with how you’d like to live your life?

What responsibilities are you carrying in (some of) these categories that do not feel authentic to you? Are you able to spend less time on those, delegate them to someone else, or simply not do them? What can you remove from your life, so you can have more time and energy for what matters to you?

Note: These 10 main categories of life are loosely based on Brendon Burchard‘s work, but the ones listed here have been adapted by me.

The party continues: Preview the new month

The new month has started. It’s time for the Monthly Preview!

At the beginning of the month, it’s smart to prepare for this month’s spending and unique financial needs.

My personal approach is that I like to remove decision making for a habit via the calendar.

Should you be flexible and adapt, or should you stick to the schedule? Tricky question…

Guilt is an indicator to reflect, not a reason to immediately act.

Party time: Let’s do the Monthly Review!

Since it’s the end of the month, let’s do the Monthly Review!

At the end of the month, it’s time for the financial monthly review!

Modify a habit by removing decision making as much as possible!

When my son was ill, this is how I adapted my schedule to still get some stuff done.

Boundaries are not selfish. Mind is blown!

This was William’s birthday cheesecake!

It’s getting cold over here, so we brought tea on our latest hike. I managed to catch this priceless moment 🥰

Create a habit by pairing it with a favorite activity

This is an enjoyable way to form a habit:

When you adapt your daily planning, let that be reflected in your calendar.

Give every euro/dollar a job!

I sometimes miss a workout. There, I said it.

Two things are true in parenting all the time. I can be frustrated and grateful at the same time.

I wouldn’t exactly call this meal prep, but WE MADE SUSHI!!! It was delicious… 😋

This past Thursday (the 17th) was William’s 3rd birthday! 😍 Happy birthday to our little (not so little), kind of big boy!

“Doesn’t budgeting take very long, too long to be worth it?”

I often get asked how much time budgeting takes, realistically speaking. The short answer is that it takes an amount of time that is totally worth it given the money it will save you and the peace of mind it will buy you.

I answered the question practically by breaking down my budgeting routine:

Some more thoughts from this week:

A hierarchy of priorities can help resolve conflicts in the heat of the moment and help you choose wisely.

Create a habit by using accountability.

I prioritize sleep (because it makes everything better), and I often adapt my daily planning according to my sleep needs.

Two things are true: I’m nervous, and I’m excited.

William’s favorite outing: a trip on the train!

We are doing meal prep, and these are William’s lunches for the week (Monday-Wednesday).

“Even when you make a mistake, you’re still a good person”

Back in high school, one of our teachers always said, “Even when you make a mistake, you’re still a good person.” I thought it was funny back then, but I’ve been thinking about this for years.

Here are some other thoughts from this week:

I use my calendar to make my priorities clear and tangible:
Money in budgeting is like time in time management: you have a finite amount of each, and you need to choose how you spend your resource.

Motivation is overrated. If you want to change your behavior, create/modify habits instead.

People think I’m super organized, which is partially true, but I’m also flexible with my daily planning.

Sunday meal prep:

Family hike!

Why planning needs to be flexible

Happy Friday! Here is what I shared this week:

Let’s review our priorities and plan our week accordingly.

Budgeting is all about respecting your priorities.

If you want to change your behavior, change your habits.

Planning in real life must be flexible.

“This feels hard because it is hard.”

I hope you enjoy these thoughts, and have a good weekend!

I’ve started my coaching business

I’m very glad to say that I’ve started my coaching business!

I will be posting lots of new content on my website as well as on social media.

If you like, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Once a week, I’ll be sending out an update (here, via the newsletter) with all the content from the week. See you soon!