So, how can I do better at putting first things first? For starters, I need to daily remind myself of what I truly value. In the past, I have put a written reminder of my values on my car dashboard. It is not to give heavy thought to these values each day, but instead make me visibly aware of my priorities in life. One of those priorities I value is a healthy body and mind. To make sure I keep my body healthy I need to eat regularly and slowly (see Post 1) and exercise as close to daily as possible. To keep my mind healthy I need to stimulate it by reading, writing, and interacting in engaging and intellectual conversations with others. (To a certain extent, the masters’ program facilitates this.) In order to encourage these behaviors in myself, I will read and reread this blog post each day this week and also put a written reminder of this value on my mirror. The written reminder will read: “Putting first things first for me includes choices that promote a healthy body and mind.”
I will share with my Mayan GB students what I will be doing to implement the habit of putting first things first. This week is an appropriate time to talk to them about this because progress report grades come out next week. I want them to be able to reflect on their priorities and assess for themselves if they are putting first things first. Maybe their priorities don’t include certain grades right now. If that is the case, I will ask them to think about what they do truly value. I will ask them to think about and come up with ways that they can prioritize their values in their daily lives. This will not be easy for them, as they typically are thinking in the moment or about that day only. At the same time, this progress report marks (for most of them) the beginning of the last semester before high school. What do they see in the future?