1. Brainstorm on all the possible things that bring you joy. Do this quickly and be open to whatever comes. Consider things you've done in the past and haven't done for a long time. For additional ideas, see my Pleasure List.
2. Rate your list with a 5 or 10 point scale to determine which items will bring you the most pleasure or satisfaction. Eliminate anything that you think you "should" do. For instance, exercise might be a "should" for you rather than a "want." While I do advocate getting exercise, even when you don't feel like doing it, don't put it on your top-10 list. You can work on exercise as a separate project.
3. Narrow your list to the things that you expect will consistently bring you joy or satisfaction. Keep it positive. Instead of "drink less coffee," write, "drink plenty of healthy drinks." Allow yourself the option of having a top-9 or top-11.
4. Commit to how often you want to do each item - daily, three times a week, etc.
5. Practice your new habits, and note which ones brought you the joy and satisfaction you wanted, and which ones you resisted doing. Items you resisted might have been "shoulds." Consider replacing these items with something else. If you're sure that you're resisting a want, then you might want to take a look at that resistance with your coach.

Planning and Prioritizing

Many of us feel pulled in a dozen directions - too much to do in too little time. How do we get things done without feeling overwhelmed by it all? I'd like to share with you what I do to manage my to-do list and get projects done. I tend to keep three to-do lists.

One has a long list of things to do eventually. This I prioritize with numbers: 1) work on immediately; 2) important; 3) work on in the next week or two; 4) only if I have time.

My second to-do list is what I'd like to work on this week. It's culled from the first list, and may have only ten items. This get prioritized too.

The third list is even shorter and is only for today. It might have 5 items on the list. This is part of reducing the sense of being overwhelmed. I don't look at the long list very often! I also prioritize today's to-do list. I might have a couple of #1's and
three #2's on my short list. If I get those five things done today, then I'm happy. I love crossing things off my little list!

Regarding big projects: I'm sure you've heard this before, but I'll say it again. When I do a big project, I break it up into small steps. Once I have my plan in place, I forget about the work of the entire project and only look at the one piece I have to do next. This little piece goes on today's to-do list. This process leads to progress on big projects that might never get done otherwise.

Don't forget to include fun things on your to-do list, or even time to just be! See the 10-Habits above, Re-scheduling below, and the Mission work for help in how and what to prioritize.

Re-scheduling

Most people whose life is out of balance are so busy, they can't figure out how to get in the activities that they really want. Usually the remedy is to cut out activities that don't give you a wonderful present or future, and substitute activities that do give you a wonderful present or future. But what do you cut? Here's one idea:

1. Make a calendar for every day of the week with space for every hour of each day (days in columns, time in rows).
2. For the next week, record how you spend your time, and next to each activity, rate your pleasure and/or accomplishment using a 5 point scale, 5 being highest. Be sure to include sleep, eating, and work. For example, if you went for a walk in the woods and felt very good, you might rate that a P5 for high pleasure. Getting your bills all paid might be a A4 for a somewhat high feeling of accomplishment. Watching a TV reality show might give you a P1, because you realize by the end that you feel pretty bad having watched it.
3. Meanwhile, come up with a list of activities you'd like to include in your life, whether it is pleasurable or moves you towards your goals. See 10 Habits above for some pleasure ideas, see my Pleasure List, and see other areas on this site for goal oriented tasks.
4. At the end of the week, make a new calendar in which you schedule your week, cutting out your low P and A activities, and substituting activities from your new list. Leave some open spaces, and when the time comes, consider doing another item from your new list. If you find that your job or your spouse are not bringing you joy, I am not recommending cutting them out of your life. You could look at the other sections of this site for help with life mission, career, or relationships, and you could talk with your coach.
5. Spend another week doing your scheduled activities, and again rate the activities as you do them for pleasure and accomplishment.
6. At the end of the week, ask yourself if your feel better about how you are spending your time now. Do you feel better? Is there something different you want to do? If you experience resistance to cutting activities or doing your new activities, consider discussing with your coach. Revise the process as needed.