productivity – Ruthann M. Wilson

Master Prioritization: Align Your Actions with What Matters

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Prioritization is a powerful way to bring clarity and focus to your life. Becoming aware of where you have gaps between what you say is important and what you actually do on a day-to-day basis is the first step to creating better alignment between priorities and actions.

This week’s challenge:

🔸Begin each day with a list of your three most important priorities and actions.

🔸End your day by reviewing your priorities and actions.

🔸Did you focus on your most important priorities? If so, make note of what helped you stay focused on your top priorities. If not, why not? Use what you learn to make changes/adjustments.

If there is a gap between your priorities and action, see it as an opportunity for personal growth. Recommit to your list of priorities and take action.

The same practice of prioritization that brings clarity to life also strengthens your ability to focus on career goals and professional growth.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Start Small: Overcoming Procrastination

This week, I invite you to get started on something that you have been putting off. Start small and gain momentum if procrastination is an ongoing challenge.

Envision a desired future state and write it down and/or find an image that captures what you envision. Keep your vision in a place where you can see it on a regular basis.

Outline the steps needed to bring your vision to life as well as a date for completing each step.

Create an affirmation that aligns with your future state and work with it on a daily basis.

Each day, commit to taking three actions to move toward your desired future state.

Hold yourself accountable by assessing your commitment to action at the end of each day.

Don’t wait until you are “ready” to begin. Start small, gain momentum, and bring your vision to life. Plan and prepare for it or something better to happen.

The same discipline of starting small and building momentum applies in your career. Each step forward strengthens your confidence and clarity.

Believe in your ability to succeed.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

First Things First: Mastering Your Priorities for a Fulfilled Life

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

First things first is a phrase that basically means things that are truly important should be prioritized over less important things. What are less important things? Whatever you decide based on the type of life that you want to live.

First things first is something we all know, but many of us struggle to put into practice on a regular basis. There is often a gap between what we say is important and what we actually do. Over time, the gap can contribute to feelings of being inadequate, inauthentic, off track, etc.

Becoming aware of where we have gaps is the first step to creating better alignment between actions and priorities. If you are experiencing a gap between what you say is important and what you actually do on a day-to-day basis, take a step back and explore the gap. Use what you learn to make changes/adjustments to your personal and/or professional life.

Here’s an activity, best accomplished in writing, to get you started:

Create a list of 3-5 things that are important to you. Be specific as possible. Put them in order.
Reflect on the past three months and record the order in which these things have been a priority in your life.
Is the first thing on your list, first in your life? If not, why not?
Do the things on your list reflect what you (vs. someone else) want for your life?
Identify steps you can take to align your actions with the order of the priorities on your list.
Ask someone you trust to lovingly hold you accountable.
Take action

Priority setting is an effective tool to create focus in your life. It will help you stay true to what matters most in your life.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Effective Goal Setting: Stay Focused and Thrive

One of the best ways to focus your time, energy, and money is to set a goal. Goals enable you to go from hoping and wishing to manifesting what you desire.

The journey from setting to achieving goals is fraught with obstacles, challenges, and distractions. If we are not laser focused on what truly matters, little by little, we can lose sight of our goals.

It is a great time in the new year to do a progress check. Spend some time today considering the following questions:

Is the way I am spending my time, energy, and money helping me create what I envisioned for my life?
Am I creating and nurturing the relationships I need to bring my goals to life?

If you don’t feel like you are making progress toward your goals, consider taking the following actions:

Keep track of how you are spending your time, energy, and money in a journal or notebook every day for the next seven days. Use the results to see where you need to make adjustments in support of your goals. Small changes on a daily basis can have a big effect.
Make a commitment to nurture your personal and professional network. Commit through action: make a call, send an email, or set up time to meet in person.
Ensure your goals are SMART, use positive language, and affirm what you want to create versus what you want to avoid.

Have fun, make changes where changes are needed, and trust the process in life and in your career as you bring your goals to life.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Why Clarifying Your Values Matters

The next time you find yourself looking for a reason why you haven’t started, completed, or followed through on something, take a step back and ask yourself if it is really important to you. If the answer is yes, spend some time exploring why it is important. When you ask yourself why something is important, you are tapping into your personal values.

Your values are always at work in your life whether you are fully aware of them or not. Clarifying them and using them as a guide can change your life. If you haven’t taken the time to clarify your values/what is most important to you in writing, I encourage you to make it a priority. Life flows when you are clear on your values.

We are likely to struggle to keep commitments when they are not clearly connected to personal values. When this happens, commitments tend to be rooted in fear and obligation rather than rooted in your heart.

Today is a great day to evaluate your commitments to ensure they are in alignment with your values. If not, give yourself permission to make changes or let them go.

Clarify what is most important to you and why. It will help you manifest what you desire.

Clarifying your values ensures that your career choices are authentic and sustainable, guiding decisions about roles, promotions, and leadership.

Need support? Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path is designed to help you clarify what is most important to you and bring it to life. Click here to learn more about Be True to You.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Organize for Success: Five Steps to Turn Vision into Action

Success begins with vision, but it takes organization to bring that vision to life. These five steps will help you move from inspiration to action with clarity and confidence.

I have outlined five steps, best accomplished in writing, to help you begin the process.

Step one is to determine your goal/desired outcome.

What does success look like? Envision what you desire and capture your vision on paper through words and/or images. Consider creating a vision board.

Step two is to determine why your desired outcome is important to you.

Why do you want what you have outlined in step one? What is your motivation?

Step three is to identify obstacles to reaching your goal and ways to overcome.

What might get in the way of you reaching your goal? How will you overcome?

Step four is to determine what resources you will need to bring your vision to life.

What will it take to bring your vision to life in terms of time, energy, money, and others? Be specific and realistic.
Plan backward.

Step five is to implement your plan.

What is one thing you can do this week to stay true to your vision of success?

In your career, organizing resources with a clear vision ensures that projects, priorities, and opportunities move forward with focus and integrity.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

Success begins with vision and grows through the steps you take with focus and integrity.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Time Management Strategies: How to Make the Most of Your Time

Time is one of your most valuable resources and it is inextricably linked to your life. The way you spend your time is the way you spend your life. Spend it wisely. 🙂

Here are a few strategies that can help you make the most of your time:

Know your purpose/mission and let it be your guide.
Set clear, purpose-driven goals.
Plan and prioritize tasks related to your goals.
Create a schedule (daily/weekly/monthly) and stick to it.
Focus on results/getting things done; not on being busy.
Be willing to say no to people and activities that are not aligned with your values, vision, and goals.

The key to making the most of your time is to stay laser focused on what matters most in your life.

Strong time management isn’t just about life balance; it’s also a cornerstone of career success. When you align your time with your mission and goals, you create clarity and focus that carry into your work and professional growth.

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All the best,

Ruthann

SMART Goals: Bring Your Desires to Life

This post was inspired by a mini-workshop that I recently conducted on creating goals, in particular, SMART* goals. The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.

Setting goals is a way to bring your desires to life. Goals enable you to go from hoping and wishing to manifesting what you truly desire.

If you work in a business setting, you are more than likely used to setting and achieving goals related to your role/position. However, most people don’t have personal goals (e.g., career, relationship, financial, etc.) that are specific and written down. It is estimated that only 3% of people have written goals.

Time is one of your most precious resources. The SMART approach is a great way to create written goals and structure your time.

Questions to consider as you create each goal:

Specific: What exactly will you accomplish?
Measurable: How will you know when you have reached your goal?
Attainable: Is your goal challenging, yet attainable?
Relevant: Is your goal clearly linked to your values/what matters most?
Time-bound: By what date will you accomplish your goal?

If there is something that you are hoping/wishing to accomplish “someday”, make today the day you give it a deadline, create a plan, and put your plan into action.

Consider using images and/or symbols as visual reminders of your desired outcome (click here to see my post on vision boards).

Work toward your goals, but don’t be attached to a particular outcome. Being attached to a specific outcome can get in the way of you receiving an even bigger blessing than the one you had in mind.

SMART goals aren’t just a personal practice — they’re also a cornerstone of career success. When you set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time‑bound goals, you create clarity and focus that drive both professional achievement and personal fulfillment.

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All the best,

Ruthann

*SMART concept created by George Doran