It's ironic that many of us lead lives packed with endless things to do and yet -often the things that truly matter to us fall short.

If you struggle to prioritize what's important to you, ask yourself these questions:

• What actually matters to me? List out at least 5.

• Why does it matter to me?

• (Bonus: How much time do I do what matters to me VS what doesn't?)

Here are my answers:

Writing. To clarify my thoughts and share my ideas with the world, to connect with others.

Spending quality time with my partner. To feel connected, to enable our love and relationship to grow.

Exercise. To generate energy in my body, to reset and clear my mind, to stay healthy, to feel good in my body.

Breathwork and meditation. To regulate my nervous system, stay grounded and connected to my body, calm my mind.

Create and work on my business. To make a sustainable income doing what I love, to share my medicine and gifts with others.

I make sure to do what matters to me by making these things non-negotiables:

• doing them in the mornings or scheduling them in my Google calendar.

• creating boundaries and saying no to other things and opportunities.

I also make sure I regularly re-evaluate my life and environment. Am I living the life I want to live?

Here is what matters to me but is not getting enough attention and time right now (partly due to COVID):

Surfing.

Spending time with friends (online / offline).

Photography and Filmmaking.

Drawing.

→ Awareness helps me adjust accordingly.

(This is atomic essay #4, which is part of 30 Days of Writing #Ship30for30)