If you don’t prioritize these 7 aspects of life now, you’ll pay the price later on

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If you don’t prioritize these 7 aspects of life now, you’ll pay the price later on

How many times have you heard older people say that they wish they had gotten started on X thing years (if not decades) sooner? Life can only be lived forward, but clarity about our lives is always retrospective. Ask any older person about their regrets, and the vast majority will tell you about all the things they should have prioritized when they were young. Among them are the seven aspects listed below. Get these sorted out and established as soon as you can, so you don’t regret procrastinating about them a few decades down the road.

1. Cultivating community.

As we get older, we rely more and more on the people around us. Sometimes this reliance will be for health-related issues, while other times it’s simply for socializing and moral support, especially when it comes to family issues, losing loved ones, or trading essentials with friends and neighbors when times are tough.

Furthermore, cultivating community benefits everyone involved, not just one individual over another. A fact that’s backed up by research. As you get older, you’ll be able to pass on your knowledge and skills to younger generations, and your experience with everything from project management to feeding large groups can be beneficial to everyone around you. In turn, psychological research has shown that individuals benefit from feeling “needed” by those around them and by engaging with friends and neighbors in positive, healthy ways.

2. Personal peace and rest.

Many of us were raised with the idea that we always need to be busy. That if we weren’t actively doing something productive with every waking moment, we were wasting time or being lazy. In reality, rest and relaxation aren’t just nice to have on occasion: they’re critical for development and well-being, according to Psychology Today.

Make it a priority to have alone time, peace, quiet, and rejuvenating rest on a regular basis, starting immediately. You’re not being lazy, nor are you neglecting anything by doing so. If anything, you’re prioritizing care and nurturing towards your greatest asset: your health.

3. Living in a place that brings you joy.

Are you familiar with that amazing feeling that springs up when you go to the cottage or away on vacation, and you feel unbridled joy in your surroundings? Many people go to these places to escape from the stress and tedium of where they live, and desperately look forward to the few opportunities they’ll have every year to do exactly that.

Instead of these small snippets of solace, aim to move to a place that brings you joy as soon as you possibly can. It’s a lot easier to move and put down roots when you’re younger, and you’ll be able to truly enjoy your new surroundings while you still have energy and enthusiasm to do so. I moved from downtown Toronto to the Laurentian mountains in my mid-30s, and I wish I had done so a decade earlier.

4. Creating distance from people who damage you.

Taking pride in tolerating people who mistreat you isn’t the flex you think it is. In fact, it only damages you more and more over time, no matter how much you try to stay positive and “rise above” their horrible behavior towards you. Other people’s negativity, manipulation, and abuse will erode your health and sanity over time, even if you aren’t aware of it. In fact, it’s very much a “boiling the frog” situation, in that you won’t realize just how bad things have gotten until you break down or develop a crippling autoimmune condition from the stress of it.

There’s no shame whatsoever in distancing yourself from people who hurt you, even if they’re related to you. Countless people put up with far more harm than they should out of a sense of obligation towards family. In reality, people are abused by family members, domestic partners, and friends far more often than they’re mistreated by strangers. This can include emotional, mental, and financial abuse as well as physical violence. If there are people in your life who are damaging you on a regular basis, start cutting ties immediately to protect your peace.

5. Storing things for a “rainy day.”

Setting aside money, food, and other vital supplies in case disaster strikes is often seen as pessimistic or crazy prepper behavior, but it can make an enormous difference in a wide variety of difficult circumstances. All manner of disasters can happen at any time, including (but not limited to):

  • Unexpected unemployment or illness.
  • Devastating weather events.
  • Prolonged power outages.
  • A sudden death in the family.
  • Conflict or war.

It’s best to have at least three weeks’ worth of food, water, and medicine just in case you find yourself in difficult circumstances and supplies are scarce. Ideally, you’ll stockpile long-term storage items bit by bit over the course of several years: this way, you and your family are set in case things end up being dire for quite some time. Remember that it’s always better to have something and never need it than the other way around.

6. Identifying your spiritual weaknesses.

Rather than anything “woo-woo” here, this is directly linked to emotional chinks in your armour that might affect you more as you get older. For example, you can ask yourself some of the following questions:

  • Do you get angry easily?
  • Do you have trouble listening to people?
  • Are you reactive?
  • Do you see the women or men in your life as conquests or platforms/tributes to your greatness?
  • Or do you assume that all women or men are inherently evil because of your past experiences (or programming)?
  • Do you demonize those from a particular country or culture and only have compassion for those who are like you?

Many people avoid introspection and real self-work because those actions are uncomfortable. It’s far easier to simply keep on keeping on, than to delve into the contributing factors behind their racism, biases, and reactionary responses. If these issues aren’t addressed sooner rather than later, however, they can grow like cancers and cause far more damage in the long run. Unchecked bigotry can harm future relationships, the inability to listen or remain calm in difficult discussions can damage friendships, and a lack of personal awareness can prevent you from evolving as an individual.

7. Potential health issues.

Yes, we all know how important it is to take care of our health while we’re young so we can stay fit and healthy for as long as possible, but this is a different approach altogether. While it’s important to eat well and move your body (starting now), it’s even more important to take stock of potential issues that may plague you further down the line.

For example, if your family has a history of a particular type of cancer, you might want to get genetic testing to see if you carry the gene that may activate it eventually. Similarly, that kind of testing can help you determine which other potentially devastating health issues may be in your future.

Take stock of all the health concerns that have affected your family on both sides for as far back as you can, and then see if you can get screened for them. This is a great, proactive way to safeguard your health and well-being for as long as possible.

Final thoughts…

The best time to start sorting out these aspects was yesterday, and the second-best time is today. There’s literally no time like the present to start building community, doing vital self-work, and stocking up on essentials in case Godzilla starts stomping around. Even if you don’t think these things are necessary because you’re doing just fine right now, remember that it’s better to lay foundations and make preparations you’ll never end up needing than to find yourself in a position where you do need them, but don’t have them.

About The Author

Catherine Winter is an herbalist, INTJ empath, narcissistic abuse survivor, and PTSD warrior currently based in Quebec's Laurentian mountains. In an informal role as confidant and guide, Catherine has helped countless people work through difficult times in their lives and relationships, including divorce, ageing and death journeys, grief, abuse, and trauma recovery, as they navigate their individual paths towards healing and personal peace.