So many interests, how do I choose?

Question:

I have a number of things I want to do, how do I know which one to pick?

Answer:

Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!  So great to hear that you have a variety of interests (even if it does leave you feeling like you don’t know where to start).  I recommend starting with the Attitude of Gratitude for being an Amazing with choices in front of you. Maybe  something like…

“I’m so thankful and grateful I have choices in my life.”

After that, there are many ways to decide which you want to do RIGHT NOW.  (And remember, this is about where you are at this moment.  As you continue your journey you can always refine or change your choice.)

To figure out which choice is most important at the moment, you could…

• Sit back, get quiet and let your inner wisdom share the answer with you.  The answer is within you when you listen carefully. (The trick is to actually listen and not negate what comes up as impossible, or silly, or some other “yeah but”.)
• Become a conscious listener by starting the day with a reminder to yourself to “actively listen” in to the conversations you have with yourself and others. When you actively listen to those conversations, you will find commonalities that illuminate your current priority.
• Ask yourself the question “I wonder what it would be like to know exactly the right thing to do RIGHT NOW?”
• Scan the activities you’re participating in, now and in the past.  There are clues scattered all through the things you most love to do, those activities that you do EVEN WHEN you’re not being paid or have something else that is on your “should list”.
• Use a Bubble Sort to methodically compare one item to another so that what is MOST important to you at this time “bubbles”  up to the top.

I’ve used all of these approaches at one time or another during my years as a seeker and have found the Bubble Sort is a VERY effective way to sort through the many options in front of me.  It helps you get crystal clear on what action to take by prioritizing what is most important right now.

This method has been so useful to my coaching clients (and to me personally) that I always start the search for a Kick-Butt Life with a Bubble Sort.  Together we discover the top 5 priorities and choose action steps based on those priorities.  The results of this exercise often surprise my clients…they realize they’re putting their energy and time into something that doesn’t mean much to them and the simple act of prioritizing what IS important helps them take their next step.

The really cool part is that you can do this exercise over and over again to continue refining what you want to do, what is really most important to you, no one else. You can also use the Bubble Sort to get clear on the details of your priorities discovered during the initial Bubble Sort.

Tip:

Partner up with someone to do your Bubble Sort.  A friend, mentor or coach can help guide you to the choice that is REALLY top priority for you and help you stay away from the “shoulds” and “oughtas” that tend come up, especially when you’re new to living YOUR version of a life on fire.

For an example of how a Bubble Sort works, check out
an example of a Bubble Sort in action.