The Essential P’s to Performance Part 2
If you read our first installment in this series, you are aware that we will be outlining the six essential “P’s” to optimized performance. In the previous post, we discussed the importance of Purpose and how having a clearly defined one can improve your chance of success in any pursuit. Today, we will be diving into the second “P” on our list: Prioritization.
The good news is, after reading about the first “P”, you now know what you want and why it’s a worthwhile mission for you…but now what?
No doubt, setting goals and working towards them can often become quite overwhelming, especially when life is going to pull you in so many different directions with each passing day:
You really want to play at your best during Saturday’s game, but all your friends want you to come out to the party in the city tonight…
You are determined to get in shape for your upcoming wedding, but those cookies that Thelma brought in to the office sure do look tasty…
You know you need to save up your money so you can go back to school, but damn that big screen TV is going look so good in your living room…
Hopefully, you get the idea. We are faced with temptation every single day – temptation that seeks to lure us away from our goals if we let it. In these moments, it is vital to reflect on what’s most important to us and to recognize that goal as the priority. You have to be willing to sacrifice that instant gratification in favor of continuing to work toward the long-term success you are seeking.
Prioritization doesn’t just involve avoiding temptation and staying focused on your original goal. It also involves knowing what areas need your attention in order to move forward. Let’s say your goal is to compete in an upcoming weightlifting meet – it probably doesn’t make too much sense to focus all your training on curls and bench press.
Or maybe your goal is to get to spend more time at home with the kids after school. In that case, it might not be the best time to take on the project at work that is going to require you to travel four nights out of every week.
As the cliché goes, you must “keep your eyes on the prize.” If your actions begin to align with your purpose discussed in the previous post, you will start to build momentum toward your goal.
Even with these strategies in mind, one doesn’t arrive at success by chance. In the next post, we will take a look at how to build a road map to your goals. See you there!
