The simple question with the power to change everything

If you're feeling stressed, exhausted, stuck, time poor, anxious, insert yucky feeling here ---->________ - it's a clear indication something is off in your life. You're likely in survival mode, caught in the loop of what you've gotten used to, even if it's not actually working or you.

Does this resonate? This may sound boring and obvious, but it's highly likely that you're not prioritizing correctly. Hell, you may not be prioritizing at all. If you feel like your to-do list is already huge and only continues to grow, read on.  

The first thing I want you to do is to resist the urge to Type A the shit out of this and try to create some complicated process for addressing what needs to change. That's what got you here, and it certainly won't work to get you somewhere better.

Instead, ask yourself a simple question:

What is most important?

Now, you'll probably get into some high-achieving mental frenzy trying to give something it's proper weight, but that's because you've been conditioned to produce. To accomplish, to cross things off a list, to not waste your time, and to basically just do entirely too much because you've been taught your value is in what you do, not who you are.  

It's time to break that cycle. I mean, you already know it's not working (see first paragraph).

What is most important? Full. Stop.

There's a lot going on your list that's tied to what you feel you "should" get done.

Doesn't mean it's important. Maybe it would be nice to get it done, but it could actually wait.

Get into the habit of asking yourself what matters. If you are staring a long list of to-dos and start to feel all balled up and anxious, stop. Take a breath. Ask "What on this list is most important?" and then do that. If you get it done and have time, ask again and do that.

Don't endlessly add to the list from the part of you that feels compelled to be productive. If you want to break the cycle of creating overwhelm for yourself, you have to be willing to interrupt the pattern by making a different choice.

This may sound like entirely too basic of an exercise to make a difference, but I promise you, it's not. It's through the smallest of changes, adjustments and tweaks that we create massive change in our lives. How would it feel to be mentally free of your to-do list? What could that mental space create room for in your lived experience?

You always have enough time when you prioritize what matters most. Try it and find out.