priorities

howdy pals!

priorities. they’re something very easy to get mixed up. for a very long time, i've struggled to work on a system that balances them appropriately. not too long ago, though, i took a huge step which prioritized what's important for me at this moment. today i'm going to talk about how i'm working on ranking my priorities, and with it, the choices i've made to better my life!

when i was in school, i had no ranking of priorities; everything was equally important to me, so i would sacrifice time in some areas of my life to try to fix others. this didn't work. i always felt like i was drowning in things to accomplish and never had enough time for what was important to me. eventually, leaving school was the best option for me and i slowly began to see my priorities fall into place. i had to take a step back in order to see them more clearly.

one of the things i learned while at school was a hierarchy of priorities my co-ed sorority had. oneself was always at the top of the list, followed by school, our music programs, and then the sorority. while i don't have the same things on my list anymore, i'm able to fit the aspects of my life nowadays into a similar list.

the list i've come up with is self, art, social life, and work. i figured the best course of action was to start with myself at the top again. my health, my living space, and rest come before anything else. next is my art, and i don't just mean making art for floraternum. i mean gathering inspiration, looking at art, listening to music, making art that i enjoy, and writing. then comes social life, i know i thrive best when i'm surrounded by people i want to spend my time with. this is why i spend so much time with friends and loved ones. lastly comes work; i shouldn't have to be a slave to my job or my business. so, as long as all my other needs feel met, i can put my time and energy into work!

how have i put this list into use? well, i just started a medical leave from my job so i can spend more time setting up doctor's appointments and taking care of myself. it's also given me much more time for art production. i spend more time now seeking inspiration than trying to make things just to get something done. i have great conversations with friends and loved ones that motivate me to do everything else. some things i do even fit into multiple categories, like working on art with my boyfriend, andy, or friend, raine.

it was super crucial for me in this time of my life to set my priorities straight. it’s been a rough few months, summer always takes a toll on my physical health. of course i would rather be spending time doing things that are important to me than things that stress me out. making a list of priorities could be helpful if you find yourself struggling to catch up with the things that are special to you. using my lists as a guide, you could come up with your own list to organize the different aspects of your life!

i hope this blog was informative; let me know if this was helpful to you at all. i know prioritizing what’s important can be hard, especially in such a fast-paced world. thank you for taking the time to read it, much love!

best,

chase