10 Ways to Find Out What is Important to You in Life

“Make room for the real important stuff.” ~ Tigger

How will you answer me when I ask, “What’s the meaning of your life?” “What brings you joy?” or “What is important to you in life?” – Can you answer these questions without thinking about them much? Or do you need a minute to reflect on what is truly meaningful and important to you?

If I have to answer this question, I’d say that imparting my knowledge and making my loved ones happy are the two things that are important to me.

Now it’s just me but what is important to you might not be something you may prioritize over other things or how you choose to spend your time. But, what’s important to you should align with your values. It should give your life meaning, and a purpose.

Finding out what is important to you in life can help you understand your priorities and allow you to bring change into your life that can guide you to find your purpose. I’ve compiled a list of ways you can try to find what’s important to you.

Before we take a look at the ways, let’s understand the significance of finding out what is important to you.

Why You Should Know What Is Important To You?

When you understand what’s important to you, it brings a sense of clarity to your values and helps you focus on your priorities. When you know what’s important to you then you encourage self-growth and self-awareness.

This way, you become more aware of how you’re living your life and if the values that you’ve been following, align with your priorities. If they do, then great! But, if they don’t, then you can change and adjust your lifestyle to better focus on what gives your life meaning.

While your values may not always align with what is important to you, you can still spend some time apart to recognize your needs and how changing or modifying your values may help you bring change to your life and how you live it.

When your life changes and when you realize what brings it meaning, you live a life that your future self would be proud of and your past self would envy.

Let’s take a look at the ways you can figure out what is important to you.

How To Find Out What Is Important To You?

The interesting thing is that our priorities change. As you grow and step into different phases of your life, your priorities change with each passing day. For me, that’s the beauty of change. You’re always growing in one way or another and change allows you to embrace your new self. Here are some ways you can use to find out what is important to you in life, now.

1. Rank Areas Of Your Life

The first thing you need to do is take a paper and write down your current priorities. Focus on the most important areas of your life and rank them. What should be on the top of your list? The first few top-ranking priorities are the most important ones so you know that you can spend less time on the ones ranking below. There will be some that will share the same rank and it’s OK.

Here is an example of my priority list;

1. Myself
2. Family and friends
3. Career growth
4. Spiritual growth
5. My hobbies

This way I know that my priority is myself and I need to work on that while my hobbies, though they rank fifth, can take less of my time.

2. Find What You’re Passionate About

Notice one thing when you engage in a conversation the next time – what’s a topic that you can speak about for hours and never get tired of? Keep in mind that it is just an activity. What you need to understand is that we unconsciously talk a lot about things that we feel are important to us. The conversation around those topics flows naturally. This way might help you realize what you’re passionate about and prioritize your life a little more.

3. Think About Your Relationships

Yes, your relationships can also help you learn what’s important to you. Think about your relationships and the people around you. Who you choose to surround yourself with greatly influences your values, beliefs, and actions. Spending time with people you look up to can help you narrow down your passions, interests, and priorities.

4. Figure Out Your Hobbies

Your hobbies can also help you realize your priorities. Find out what interests you the most, what you love doing in your free time, and how your interests play a role in your life, values, and actions. Once you know what interests you in your spare time, you can feel encouraged to act on those interests more, bringing you closer to your meaningful life.

5. Consider Your Most Important Qualities

Where do you excel the most? What attracts people toward you? Consider your traits and qualities as they can also help you figure out what is important to you in your life. These are our subconscious prizes if you ask me. They tell us and others all the important things we need to know about.

6. Notice How You Spend Your Time

Again, how you choose to spend your spare time can tell a lot about what is important to you. This allows you to see what you unconsciously prioritize. If what you spend your free time doing aligns with your values and beliefs, good for you! But, if they don’t, then you can always choose to change and shift your priorities.

7. Give Attention To Your Thoughts

Pay attention to what you’re thinking when you’re lying in bed contemplating life. When you’re busy, idle thoughts are hard to come by, but when you’re not busy, that’s when they can pop up. Give them attention and see what they are pointing you toward. Are these thoughts worth pursuing? Or should you let them go?

8. Consider The Areas For Growth

You can also figure out what is important to you by considering the areas in your life where you need to grow and improve. Think about the areas (you can refer to your priority list from point one) that need a little bit of improvement and see how changing those areas change your life overall.

9. Think About How Your Future

Here’s another activity for you; Name three qualities that others would use to describe you. Why this activity? Well, this activity can help you identify the traits you feel are important and showcase them to others. This is how you want others to look at you. When you realize this, it helps you shift your priorities and improve your areas in life to better suit these traits.

10. Reflect On Your Priorities

Now that you have ways to find out what is important to you, I want you to reflect on your current priorities. When was the last time you were truly happy? Or laughed out loud? If you can’t think about them, then maybe it’s time to reassess your priorities and make some changes to your current situation.

What Next?

When you figure out what is important to you, you allow room for self-growth and development. You understand change and allow it in your life. Life is always changing with time but if you don’t change with it, you’ll be stuck where you are.

Knowing your priorities can also help you realign your values with what you feel is important to you. You can use the above-listed ways to find out what is important to you in life.

I hope this blog helps you figure out what is important to you in life and how to achieve it. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your thoughts and tips in the comments below.

Take Care!