Day 2 - Proof that Perfectionism is overrated and Prioritizing!!

So, I didn't blog yesterday, already killing my perfect stretch of blogging for thirty days!! That is okay though - A couple pretty stressful things came up and while thinking about what I really needed to do vs. what I should do vs. what would make my soul feel good, hanging out with my little guy and getting sleep took priority. Ah hah! That brings us to yesterdays topic - PRIORITIZE. If you can learn to prioritize, you can learn stress management. Here are some tips.

What do you NEED to do (keep a roof over your head, eat, sleep, etc.)

What do you HAVE to do (go to work, wake up at a reasonable hour, be a positive part of society)

What would you LIKE to do (see friends, do yoga, walk the dogs, hang out with family)

What SHOULD you do (bake cookies for a cookout, call and talk to friend, write out birthday cards)

If you can get your needs met by doing what you have to do while sprinkling in things you like to do, you will probably feel pretty good. But what about the "shoulds"? Well, let us try and get should out of your vocabulary. Revisit why you should bake those cookies. Do you want to? Did you promise you would? Do have the time? If you want to then go for it, it isn't really a should, but a like. If you promised you would but don't feel like it, buy some or call your friend and tell her the cookies are a no go. This should is an example of doing something purely out of guilt - not very enjoyable. If you don't have the time, don't do it. In this scenario it seems as though you probably overcommitted yourself which is something we will continue to work on. Is it a necessity? No. Might you feel a little badly for not getting them baked - maybe, but that will hopefully help you say no the next time you think about volunteering to do something.

So today, practice prioritizing!

Do what you need to do, do what you like to do.