So, What's Important?
 

I have a rare day mostly off and am puttering around catching up on stuff and making lists of things I need to do. I'm always behind. The To Do list is always longer than the days are and I'm so incredibly busy with my multitude of jobs that I have a hard time keeping it all straight at times. Today, I started thinking about what REALLY is important and what is - eh, not so much so. By important, I'm talking stuff that is not only necessary, but fulfilling in the long run. For example, cleaning the cat boxes is important (house smell better, cats are happier) but, in the long run, it is really fulfilling to me to have loving, healthy, happy cats so cleaning the cat box is not only necessary but important.

I decided I'd make a list of what is really important to me. I can start there and see what I'm doing that isn;t connected to one of the things I've deemed important. And, if an activity isn't helping me accomplish something I consider important, that stop doing it.

Here's my list of Important Stuff:

Chris
Relationships with friends - keeping friendships active
Sex
Creativity
Clean house (better to entertain with)
A job that makes money without ruling my entire life
Spiritual centeredness
Health (weight, eating right, getting exercise, skin care)
My pets
Fulfilling down time (not just the "forced into it because i get sick" kind)
Throwing good parties, creating good times, seeing new or interesting places
My garden


Its still a lot of stuff, and maybe the list is too big, but it's my own place to start.

So, what's Important to you?

Love this thread!! :snap:

My list is a bit similar:

Ken
Our "kids" (critters)
Friendships (quality - not number of friendships)
Sex
Creativity
Productivity
Clean house (like NA said - better for entertaining, but also for our own enjoyment and relaxation)
Acquiring new knowledge and skills
Utilizing knowledge and skills
Health
Peace of mind
Real relaxation and personal time
Experiences (rather than material goods)

What a great thread, NA!

Olivia (my 8yo DD)
My many (many), varied pets
My relationship with my not-quite/soon to be ex (because it is the best I can do, in a bad situation, for Olivia)
Maintaining my intellectual curiosity
Fulfilling my artistic drive
My friends
Maintaining personal integrity even when it would be easier to let it slide
Indulging myself every now and then (to remind myself that I can only take care of others when I also take care of myself)
To try to always give others the benefit of the doubt (even when it's clear I'm right ;) )
To always try to do the right thing, even when what is "right" is not always clear and is often the harder route.
Continuing the process of healing childhood pain.


I'm sure (know) there are many other things, but right here and right now, these are the things that are important to me.

For five more days ... and for the last 25 ... it's amazing that there's but One Single Item On My List.


Everything, but everything ... Damn It All ... Everything for the Circus.

Wonderful, WONDERFUL thread idea! I've been really exhausted by this year, and was recently thinking along the same lines...

What's important?

My husband
My son
My other family members and all of my friends both online and in real life
Trying to be loving and generous in all of my relationships (this one always needs work)
Learning learning learning
Making stuff
Goofing off -- embracing the silly
Good food
Paying bills
Brutal honesty
Bathing
Hitting the open road with no destination in mind
Toys
Clouds

My wife
My friends
My sanity (or lack thereof)

Wife
Family
Friends
Sex
Rabbits
Food
Entertainment
Creativity
Travel
Financial Security
Job satisfaction






Though sometimes sex is probably at least a tie with friends.

I guess I am just a simple kind of guy. Here's my list:

MY PRIORITIES:
My relationship with Tom. Tending to and enjoying all aspects of our marriage, including our friendship, our sexuality, our shared creative goals. This is my great joy, and my #1 priority.

My relationship with my family (and also Tom's.) Listening to and comforting my parents, putting personal vacations on hold in order to spend time with all of them. Building friendships with my nieces and nephews as they grow older. Staying in touch with siblings, striving to stay close despite distance and differing points of view.

My relationship with my friends. Nurturing and building connections with people I trust, challenging each other without tearing each other down, supporting each other without conditions. Collaborating creatively, or just relaxing and having fun. Seeking to understand and empathize with the people in my life, which I'm not always successful at – but at least I do try. On the other hand, I also find it important to limit my contact with crazy-makers.

Overcoming my self-imposed obstacles to my creative happiness. Starting creative work again and again until I can finally finish it. Shuffling my priorities to try to make that happen. Working towards my dream career instead of dreaming about it. Pushing myself creatively in my current job – when I'm able. And during the times I'm able to overcome my obstacles… writing, directing, making art.

"Filling my creative well" to center myself and gather inspiration. Seeking adventure, traveling, being a tourist in my own city, seeing great movies, listening to great music, watching great theater, reading great books, going to museums to soak in some art or revel in history or culture. Also in this category is my health – getting regular exercise (mostly swimming) and eating well (and eating delicious food in moderation) is another way that I'm able to "refill" and center myself. All of this ties into my spirituality, I think. It's a hodgepodge. Hell, even taking a bath, painting my toenails, putting together a great outfit lands in this category.

Staying connected to the world at large. Staying informed. Following politics – though that will always come after everything above. And if following politics, etc, gets in the way of centering myself, it falls by the wayside. Volunteering, donating to charity, etc. Having compassion without developing compassion fatigue.

Taking care of our pets, our home and our belongings. To an extent. I love to be in a clean environment, but it will never take priority over snuggling with Tom, or calling my mother, or listening to a friend, or working on a creative pieces, or enjoying my life. I've met people who clean obsessively – for whom cleaning is a hobby. I spotless-clean for company, and I spot-clean out of respect for my home and my partner, usually after it's gotten a little but not a lot dirty.


NOT MY PRIORITIES:
Obsessively organizing budgets, or aggressively seeking money. We don't spend a lot, and we do save for short- and long-term purposes. But as much as I appreciate a comfortable life and enjoy my belongings, they are nowhere near as important to me as my loved ones and my experiences.

Mindless passive activity, otherwise known as "refresh mode." I get stuck in it from time to time, but it is never really what I want out of my life. In this category: re-watching stuff I don't really like, excessive obsession over fannish things (which was something I did a lot when I was younger), or… er… clicking the "refresh" button on LoT or LJ or anything else, simply because I'm bored and stopping myself from what I really do want to be doing. I'm getting better at it, but it's still a challenge – and it's definitely not what I really want my life to be.

Family
Home Life
Friends
Health
Conquering Stress
Work