What if you changed what you put first?

Tomorrow I turn 37. I love birthdays, not just because it’s time to celebrate, but because it’s a good moment to take stock and think about how I want the next year to feel. Ahead of this birthday I have been thinking about this a fair bit, and have been wondering how different things would be if I changed what I prioritise.

Of course with a young family, their needs will naturally come first, and it goes without saying that I absolutely love spending time with Mr K and little Sienna. But after that, in the pockets of time and space left over, what should I put first?

The truth is I usually put work first. I love what I do and that is fine, but lately I have been working far too much, to the point that it has become my default thing to do in any spare moment. (Zen for Ten in April helped, but my to-do list is still far too long!)

So what to do? I have decided to try reframing things and choosing to put something else, not work, first. I have been asking myself questions like…

• How would things be different if, when you had spare time, you put HAVING FUN first?
• If you put NUTRITION first?
• If you put EXERCISE first?
• If you put CREATIVITY first?
• If you put WRITING IN YOUR JOURNAL first?
• If you put SLEEPING first?
• If you put MAKING YOURSELF PRESENTABLE first?
• If you put READING first?
• If you put BEAUTIFYING YOUR SPACE first?
• If you put LEARNING THINGS first?
• If you put PLANNING first?
• If you put SAVING first?
• If you put INVESTING first?
• If you put LISTENING first?
• If you put KINDNESS first?
• If you put WANDERING AIMLESSLY + DREAMING first?

There are so many words I could put in the gap of ‘If you put [XXX] first?’ Tomorrow, on my birthday, I’m going to spend some time deciding which one of these to try on, to try out, and see how it goes.

How about you? What will you put first in the spare pockets of time you have this week?
Beth

PS If you want to put CREATIVITY first I’d really encourage you to join Bloom True – the online painting (& life) course from Flora Bowley which starts on May 12. It’s an amazing personal adventure, and the daily posts for the five weeks of class are the perfect way to help you put your creativity first, every day, until it becomes a habit! You can register here.