Living into your priorities for more profit and fulfillment
The other day, I got out of a steaming hot shower, cozied into bed with a glass of rosé champagne, and dove into a good book.
And you know what?
That alone felt pretty damn luxurious.
Because as any business-owner will tell you, there is always more to do and the list truly never ends.
So those little moments when I give myself the SPACE to live into my priorities, taking time to myself to rest, relax, and CELEBRATE my accomplishments?
Well, they feel pretty effing magical.
Couple that with the fact that…
...I just had my BIGGEST month in sales in my coaching business.
...My clients are getting amazing, life- and business-altering results.
...I’m planning the wedding of my dreams (T minus three months ‘til the BIG DAY!)
...I’m killin’ it in my training for a half marathon the week before said wedding.
And I feel downright unstoppable right now.
I’m quite literally living proof that living into your priorities will not only get you everything you ever want, but it will also create more profit and fulfillment in your life and business.
I don’t believe that there’s a “secret” to business. I don’t buy into a magic formula to skyrocket your income, and I really don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach to success.
But if I was going to point to one thing that’s made the biggest difference in creating success that actually FEELS like success, it would 100% be shifting my MINDSET to uplevel my life and business.
Because in order to act differently, you first need to think differently.
You need to get crystal clear on your goals and bigger vision for the future so you know what success looks like for YOU and can adapt your business so that it feels truly in alignment with what you want and how you want to create it.
Because while there was certainly nothing stopping me from sipping champagne in bed before now, it was upleveling my mindset, upleveling my business, and upleveling my lifestyle that made it so easy for me to go, “HELL YES, I want that.” Subsequently, making it so easy for me to create the exact experience, that exactly FEELING of success I was craving.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that really, deeply leaning into those feelings of success always seems to have a snowball effect, bringing me even more of what I want.
And I know with the right mindset work, the same is true for you.
You can absolutely create those magical moments of luxury for yourself. You can have success that no longer feels like stress and overwhelm, but rather light, fun, and flowing with ease. YOU have the infinite power to create exactly what it is that you want in your life and business, and you can have those WHILE growing your business and not in spite of it.
Because knowing your priorities (no matter WHAT they are!) is the best way to get everything you ever want in life and business. This week, I’m talking about how to do just that.
Understand why priorities are so important
Most people aren’t getting what they want in life and business because they don’t even KNOW what they want. Seriously, think about it. When you’ve been super clear about what you want and taken small, consistent efforts towards it, doesn’t it almost always show up for you?
Knowing your priorities is just another way of saying, “knowing what you want.” And when you know what you want it’s a lot easier to GET what you want.
I’m breaking this down because I believe that thinking in this way is essential to helping you break free from feeling busy and overwhelmed and start focusing on what’s most important to you right now. That exact focus is going to help you take the actions that are in support of what you want so you can see the results you want more quickly, and experience the success you’re craving.
Personally, I LIVE FOR those breakthrough moments when my Future You clients realize that they don’t have to do “all the things.” I’ve seen them feel lighter and breathe easier just knowing that by focusing on a few core priorities they’ll see MORE results, not LESS.
For one client, I even created a “priorities dashboard,” a simple fill-in-the-blank PDF, to help her shift her mindset around her to-do list and visually map out what’s most important to her. When we first started working together, she was trying to do too much all at one time, feeling like every idea for change that popped into her head needed to be acted on immediately. Her day-to-day life—staying at home with her almost-two-year-old while also trying to run a business—was often stressful instead of joyful.
As we did the mindset work to narrow in on those priorities, she was able to clear out the mental clutter and focus on those actions that would make the BIGGEST difference in her life in business. She was able improve her decision-making skills on a daily basis rather than spiraling into analysis paralysis. Because for her, easier decisions meant less stress and more happiness in both work AND life (and we always get more of the results we want when it feels good!).
In her own words, “I feel less stressed and more capable, relaxed, and open. I don’t hold on to things quite so tightly, and I have more trust in myself to be able to handle what comes my way, despite the fact that things remain as changing and unpredictable as possible.
Amanda exceeded my expectations in every way—not because I ever doubted her for a moment, but because I doubted myself. I felt I was beyond help in some ways, and she showed me over and over that those fears were unfounded. She has changed the fundamental ways I show up in my own life and work every day, and I could not be more grateful.”
Look at your goals and prioritize tasks around those
Goals, priorities, and tasks...they can all run together if you let them. So let’s take a moment and talk about the subtle difference between these and why cultivating the right mindset is essential to seeing the results you want.
A GOAL is typically a milestone you’re looking to hit. For example, making $10k per month in revenue, having one million downloads of your podcast, or working only 3 days a week. You’re probably super familiar with setting these kind of goals.
Now, let’s go a bit deeper. A PRIORITY is something that you’re treating as more important than something else. Like when I decide to forgo that second glass of wine at girls night so that I can wake up feeling bright and chipper for my podcast interview the next day. I’m prioritizing my business. It’s important to recognize that this isn’t a bad thing either. By simply RECOGNIZING your priorities you can take actions which support them and remove the guilt that can come from trying to prioritize everything at once.
Which brings us to TASKS. Tasks are actions you take that are in support of your goals and priorities. They’re the actions we prioritize on a daily basis to bring us closer to our goals. So the next time you’re trying to weed through that brain dump of a to-do list, ask yourself which items on your list are in support of your goals, and then, well, make them a priority. 😉
For example, here’s how this breakdown looked for one of my Future You clients:
GOAL → to create more consistent and reliable leads to eliminate the feast and famine she was experiencing in her business
PRIORITY → consistent marketing efforts
TASKS → are things like sending out outreach emails to potential clients, posting valuable content daily to social media, hopping on free calls to connect on a deeper level… you get the idea.
And it’s no surprise that once she was clear on her goals, priorities, and tasks that it was so much easier to do the mindset work necessary for her to action on those (conquering those fears, self-doubts, and thoughts holding her back from consistent action!). And of course she subsequently saw more of the RESULTS she wanted!
Focus on three main priorities at any given moment
Like I tell my Future You clients, the best way to prioritize is to know your priorities. Let that sink in for a second because it sounds super obvious, but it’s the one mindset shift that will help you to let go of the guilt of saying “no” to things that aren’t in support of what you want.
So often I see creatives and entrepreneurs stuck on the hamster wheel of what they THINK they should be doing to grow their business, instead of what will push them outside of their comfort zone, generate more leads, get more clients, and see more money in the bank. And so often it’s that they think they have to do A MILLION things to grow their business, instead of taking a look at their priorities and taking the RIGHT actions consistently to see more of the results they want.
I recommend honing in on just three at any given moment, allowing you to simplify instead of spreading yourself too thin and consequently seeing mixed results.
Right now, for me that looks like: RELATIONSHIP. BUSINESS. FITNESS.
That means that I’m coasting in another area like HOME which has been a priority in the past. Now let me be clear, that doesn’t mean I’m completely letting go of all things home and renovation related. But it does mean that holding off on any BIG and time consuming projects right now because my efforts are needed elsewhere (yayyyy wedding planning!!!). Plus, if it comes down to going on a date and spending more quality time with my man instead of painting that one wall that’s still the wrong color, I don’t feel bad about it, because I know that’s more of a priority right now.
Filter tasks and to-dos through your priorities
If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed by your mile-long to-do list, it’s time to evaluate which tasks are in support of your priorities. Just today, I was reminded of how important this is, because not all tasks are created equal. Creating weekly content for my people has a much greater return on my short-term goals (supporting more women in creating a thriving life and business!) than writing up responses for a fun new interview that landed in my inbox that won’t go live for a few weeks. So while it seemed bright and shiny to dive into the fun, new thing, it also wasn’t in support of my short-term goal. That’s why it’s so important to remember that some tasks have a far greater return than others, helping you to reach your goals faster than others.
This is why I love helping my Future You clients define their goals and break them down into small, consistent efforts in their daily life so that they can prioritize those actions. This makes those actions seems so much less overwhelming and so much easier to actually follow through on and stick with consistently.
For example, one client was working on getting new leads, which meant prioritizing marketing efforts instead of designing the logo her in-laws asked her to do for free. Another had more abstract goals, like making time for movement and being more in-touch with the changing seasons, so I helped her to prioritize getting out for a walk each day.
Knowing your priorities will almost always feel like you’re getting time back in your day. But the truth is, you’re not gaining more time—you’re just using that time more effectively to support the things that are most important to you. When you focus on the things that are most important you’re happier as a result, boosting your well-being and your business’s at the same time (because in most cases, you ARE the business).
Know that you’ll have to let some things go
When you learn to prioritize, you’re inherently saying “yes” to some things and “no” to others. That two letter word can make some entrepreneurs squirm (I’ve been there too!), wondering if they’re giving up business opportunities in exchange for time with their friends and family, or vice versa.
But like I tell my Future You clients—you’re making space for the specific things in life and business that are most important to you so that you can hit your goals faster and easier than you would with a split focus.
So go ahead and say “no” every once in a while. That’s literally the entire point.
One of the most empowering mindset shifts is simply knowing that you get to decide what you say “yes” to. And remember, the universe is always going to hand you MORE of the things that you say “yes” to, so let’s be sure that they’re actually things you want more of, ok? By simply knowing your priorities, you can make that a split-second decision instead of a long drawn-out process.
Lately, living into my priorities has meant sticking to my boundaries around not working on the weekend. Instead I’ve used that time for more long runs for that half-marathon I’m training for, extra time dedicated to wedding planning, and quality time skiing with my man. Because those are all ways that I’m living into my priorities right now. And doing so has created more fulfillment in my life and consequently, more profit in my business because that time IN my business is really focused and productive. Plus, I'm not thinking about being somewhere else or all the things I’m missing out on.
But prioritizing doesn’t mean that you’re always saying “no.” You’re just doing so at critical times when you know your thoughts, time, and energy is better spent elsewhere.
The bottom line:
Knowing your priorities is another way of saying “know what you want.” When you know what you want it’s easier to take actions that support that priority rather than having a split focus on #allthethings. If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed it’s time to shift how you’re thinking about your mile-long to-do list and spend time on tasks that are in support of your goals and priorities right now. This is the best way to free up time for the things that are ACTUALLY important to you can create more success that actually FEELS like success. And maybe grab yourself a bottle of rosé champagne while you’re at it?
Tell me in the comments below:
What are your top three priorities at the moment?
Photography by Jennifer Morgan Photography
