21 sentences to surrender to priorities
What truly matters to you today to get to your next step—and why it feels liberating.
👋 Hello, dear creative. How are you doing today?
I hope January has been treating you well. For me, it feels like a back-to-school. I recently joined the Alt Marketing School cohort, where I will be diving deep into Marketing for Impact. As for the female founders' book, I am making good progress, even though I fight resistance every day, after all, it is the final round (see Book of the Day). Additionally, I have been studying animation—slow and steady.
However, despite taking steps toward building momentum, I have been feeling sluggish lately. Winter hasn’t helped much; it feels like I am constantly chasing time and giving too much attention to things that shouldn’t be my top priorities. We all have the same 24 hours, and with that blunt truth in mind, I realized I needed to take a closer look at how I was spending mine. With a renewed intention: finding balance with other things that demand my attention. So, I decided to take a small but meaningful step toward more intentional discipline…
Inspired by the 21 sentences on creativity, entrepreneurship, and life, I wrote two years ago, today I want to explore some thoughts on priorities. Some sentences may spark inspiration, questions, observations, and why not, action.
What you may want right now might not be seen as a priority through the lens of goal-getting. However, the human behind the goals, dreams, and vision needs to tend to priorities that support a mindful and creative spirit at work. Laughing, drinking that coffee, taking a few minutes to wander at the view from the window, stretching, or simply taking time to breathe in the morning—these moments matter. We define our priorities and they are valid because we decide they are.
Prioritizing one thing over another often requires making sacrifices—it's inevitable. However, with time, the hard work will be a tribute and compensate for those other things.
Your priority may not be understood by everyone, which could lead to misunderstandings or a disconnect between you and others. When choosing to prioritize, it's important to clearly express why it matters to you and the bigger picture. If people still don’t understand do not overthink things, you don't need to justify your choices. Be mindful and compassionate towards yourself and others the best you can.
Find your rhythm and stick to it. If you're a morning person who enjoys the silence of early mornings, which allows you to fully focus and thrive, then incorporate more of that into your day. You'll feel more energized and fueled because you've given yourself the space to prioritize.
At a crossroads in life, it can feel like it's now or never. ''If I don't give this my full focus, I might lose my momentum''. Yet, the opportunity for a project is always there, waiting to be seized. It's better to acknowledge it and start working with that momentum. But it's never too late—you can always catch up with that priority. As you age, you adapt differently, sometimes with more surrender and joy than in your younger days.
In a world and era where everything feels important, we often forget that being human should be the priority—real human growth, simple interactions, and kindness. Being a better human is a priority…
Work, family, faith, love, friendships, activism, money, volunteering,…. your order.
A powerful quote by James Redfield states, "Where attention goes, energy flows." It goes beyond what you give priority to; it also involves your intention. You have to be there giving priority, you must engage in that choice….
Observe your joy levels as you prioritize; they will confirm your choices as you progress.
Progress will always be the currency! You can't beat it—one step at a time, one aha moment at a time. The power of progress is beyond words.
Family will always be a priority! A special shoutout to all the parents who have made and continue to make, their children a priority. And this dedication doesn't end with aging...
If you dedicate just 1hour a day to focusing on a single craft, imagine where you'll be a year from now! The 10.000 hours rule can inspire mastery…
The creative you once were is grateful that you focused on your craft: testing, failing, and getting back up. Without that process, each surprising and disruptive idea would not have come to life. Your priorities have borne seeds and fruits.
Money is important; this is undeniable, and it is part of the priority list. However, the secret of many outstanding artists* and creatives that we admire is that they never pursued mastery for money. Their priority was their art! This dedication brought them later money, fame, attention, and more (it’s true sometimes after they were no more.) Priority can take time to bear fruit, but the focus and its results are beyond words... in the end, they serve many.
When things are going well, it's easy to lose focus. During tough times, we (re)think things and identify better priorities. Watch yourself during the good times. In challenging moments, stay loyal to your resilient priorities—the ones who paved the way for the good in your life.
What is the priority of your audience? What do they care about most? Can your priority serve theirs?
Wait! Does this mean I can choose what I want to focus on? My phone seems to dictate what my priorities should be. Despite my best efforts, it feels like a daily sabotage of what truly matters. Focus is such a brave choice. Detox, my friend!
Three steps to a possible profitable business: find a product that resonates, keep it growing, and make it a priority to ensure it's the best it can be.
Do not blame yourself if you don't meet all your priorities. If you can be proud of achieving 1 to 3 of them daily, that's already a huge win—especially if they're tied to your dream and vision. Small steps lead to smoother progress in the long run.
That dream project should be your priority. If it feels too scary right now, start giving it a positive priority in your mind, and action will follow.
When you give your time to help others and prioritize someone else's growth, it may seem like you're slowing down and not focusing on your work. Yet, it could be your best masterclass, revealing what you have been missing.
* Vincent Van Gogh • Frida Kahlo • Claude Monet • Pablo Picasso • Henri Matisse and so much more … they share a similar dedication to their craft, which ultimately led to recognition and influence.
⟶ You can read the previous posts of this series
Resistance is the enemy from within…
I started my journey into Steven Pressfield's words thanks to his book: ‘‘Nobody wants to read your sh*it’’. An eye-opening book about a brutal truth: nobody cares about what you do and it can free headspace to go for it. But more than that, it introduced me to an author who had paved his way on the other side of resistance, reaching a land where the "I don’t care what you think" mindset was present 24/7. With this new read, ‘‘The War of Art’’, which I had never picked up before despite hearing so much good about it, I reconnected with his grounded understanding of the creative process. Additionally, with the weight we, as creatives, have to battle with daily to get that dream moving, that vision unfolding, and that project birthing and beyond. It is truly a war, especially when we care. We can observe—at least, I can see for myself—strategies of distraction that I must dodge. Then, quickly and mindfully, I refocus on my aim. When I get distracted, I need to show myself immense compassion and try again the next day.
I believe that as creatives, as long as we focus on progress—whether small, grand, or minuscule—and commit to the noble act of progress, letting the craft speak for itself, we will eventually win the daily battle.
‘‘Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it’’.
Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles.
💡 It is a Prompt
Light up your creative fire this week 💎 Prompt of the week
• Start your day with 3 things you enjoy the most
My solution to reclaim my quality time is to take on this challenge: to start my day by focusing on the 3 things I am most excited about and looking forward to. Following my heart, hands, and curiosity.
• The rules are simple and you can expand them
→ ✏️ First, list the 5 things you do not want to do first thing in the morning.
→ ✏️ Next, pick 3 things you enjoy and want to start your day with.
* When choosing, think about the goals and intentions you have for the year.
→ ✍ For a week, when you wake up and set your intention for the day, begin with these activities.
* You can dedicate 30 minutes, an hour, or more to them.
* If you have a to-do list, start it with these activities. This doesn’t mean your daily tasks are over—it simply means these are the joyful activities you want to prioritize when your mind is fresh, awake, and in alignment.
• What is happening now?
After a week, how do you feel?
What have you noticed about other activities you work on throughout the rest of your day?
And finally, how is your joy throughout the day?
* Below is a one-page PDF you can use to track effects, results, and feelings.
Creativity is in every little curious experimentation.
Congratulations, you read it all! I hope you enjoyed the read of the week.
Feel free to share it with peers, friends, and family! As it helps more people discover this space. Find out more ways to share the love here.
Sending 🎯+ 🍃 vibes.
Take care,
Keva.
Love the Steven Pressfield quote! Nice read 😎
My favorite observation is that you don't have to meet ALL of your goals in order to move forward/progress. I think a lot of folks grade themselves too harshly whenever they miss a goal, but they're still further along and probably better off now.