3 Things To Prioritize This New Year

The new year is here and it's exciting to have so many things to do. Some may have fewer but ambitious goals, while others may have realistic but more checklists for the year. Regardless of where you may be on this spectrum, there are three important things to be intentional about this year.

Women wear many hats and give themselves freely to everyone, caring, comforting, and prioritizing everyone but themselves. This tendency leaves us highly stressed, overweight, or without a social life or emotional support. This year is a year to be intentional but not overwhelmed. It's also a year to put first thing first, and below are three top priorities you should be working at.

1. Health - This is not to say that you aren't being conscious of your health, it is to help you leave the phase of awareness to "ready to act". Weight loss is one of the top goals for women yearly, but every effort is discontinued by April. This is because you desire this so much that you set unrealistic goals to meet this desire. Why should we make health a priority this year? Look around you, count how many people died of complications related to some chronic illnesses that were manageable until infected with COVID-19. The thing is, you may think you have everything under control until the next agent comes around. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States, and about 1 in 5 of these individuals experience no warning signs until the damage is done. Some common risk factors to a heart attack or heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S., include hypertension(high blood pressure), being overweight, and being consistently under high stress, just to name a few. One way or the other, we all may find ourselves associated with one of these risk factors without having a clue of the damage it has caused. Now is the time to be intentional about making changes on a small scale. Watch out for my new "Health is wealth" blogs and challenges for practical tips on how to make small changes this year that will lead to big results if followed through.

2. Prayer - "Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This text has made more sense to me since I made the decision to walk in my purpose and live according to the direction of God. Every year I decide to tap into my hidden potentials and grow higher than the previous, I experience testing that leaves me drained but victorious through prayer. 2020 presented me with a clear understanding of why we need to pray without ceasing. No matter how organized and carefully thought out your plans are, or how resourceful you are, your efforts will be frustrated if not backed by constant prayers. Why is prayer this year so important? Because your life depends on it! it's as simple as that. Pray for your children because the devil is stealing their minds through the media, pray for your husband or future husband because Satan hates unity and the power it has, pray for your heart towards God and others because out of it flows the issues of life, pray for your visions because Satan knows when you discover yourself you will also discover God, pray for your business or your ability to begin one because the devil hates for you to be productive, and more importantly pray for the Holy Spirit and the strength to keep praying. Stay tuned for our prayer circles through the year.

3. Relationships/social support - This is one area women tend to be better at but when they're bad at it, it ruins everything else. While some prioritize only immediate family, others give too much of themselves to everyone, leaving them broken and feeling neglected most times. Though relationships are crucial to your well being, unhealthy ones or no balance can leave you mentally drained and greatly affected by it. We all need to prioritize relationships that are important to us this year, including children, spouse, parents, siblings, friends, and relationship with self. Building healthy relationships are crucial to balanced mental health, and it begins with deciding how much of yourself you can give and committing to it. Be realistic and set boundaries! Make intentional efforts and manage expectations. You need few genuine relationships outside of your spouse, parents, and children to experience a balanced life.

You may need to prioritize one, two, or all three of these areas of your life this year, but regardless of the category you decide to work on, commit and be intentional about it! Watch out for 2021 health tips and challenges, prayer guidance, and relationship building tips.

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