Priorities at Work

What are your priorities at work? If you think they are only defined by your deadlines and your boss, think again. Work priorities must incorporate your long-term career goals, your financial goals and your professional interests. What do you enjoy? What are you best at? Where does your experience lie? Once you have defined your work priorities, you can evaluate what role your current position plays in meeting those priorities, and begin to set a course for the future.

When you determine work priorities, you give yourself the means to evaluate potentially stressful situations and successfully make difficult decisions regarding them. You will develop the motivation needed to create an action plan for goal achievement. And you are better able to tolerate short-term stress because your sights will be set firmly on the future.

Personal Priorities

Establishing personal priorities is a critical piece of the stress-busting puzzle. What are the hobbies, passions or pursuits that delight you and take you beyond your day-to-day existence? Who are the people you most want to spend time with? Which relationships do you want to nurture and support? Which commitments (volunteer work, church, community service) outside of work, family and hobbies mean the most to you?

Once you have your personal priorities in place, you will find yourself letting go of the tension, anxiety and confusion that often exists when you try to fill too many roles, without leaving time for yourself. You will be able to reduce your stress by only taking on those commitments that support your priorities. You will discover the confidence and control saying “no” brings to your life, and you will be better able to objectively balance important decisions that involve conflicts between work and family life.