The Pentagon of Priorities

We all realize that it’s impossible to devote all of our attention to everything at all times.

In life, whether we like it or not, we must prioritize those aspects which we care more about and which we care less about.

The simple framework I outline below is one that I use daily to consciously acknowledge, assess, and proact to all of the various components of my life. It helps me stay balanced, calm, and in control.

At its core, think of it as a To-Do **and Not-To-Do **list for the biggest facets of life.

What It Is

There are five points (surprise, surprise) on the Pentagon of Priorities (PoP)—each representing a major piece of our lives that we can choose to, or not to, focus on at any one time.

The five points are:

FamilyFriendsWorkFitnessDiet

But, here’s the catch:

You can only choose to focus on 3 out of the 5 points at any one time. From my past experience, it’s nearly impossible to properly focus on more than three at a time and give them the proper attention and care they each deserve.

How To Use It

There are two ways to use the Pentagon of Priorities; one passive, one active.

In the passive scenario, you simply use the PoP as a mental reminder of your current focuses on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis—whichever, you choose.

In the active scenario, you can print out a PoP template and retroactively track how you did at focusing in the areas you chose. For example, each month you could print out a PoP template, and while looking back, say: “I was shooting for Family, Work, and Diet, but I really let Diet slip and Friends took its place.” And so on and so forth.

Over time, these PoP charts paint a picture of what you think matters in life vs. how well you’re actual life is aligned with those priorities. It can also act as a form of self-therapy–diagnosing problems before they occur or helping to explain those that have already occurred.

Why It Matters

Ever felt like you’re only giving 70% of your effort to everything vs. 100% to a few things? This gets at the heart of why this framework is effective.

By acknowledging what you’re not going to focus on, you free yourself up to give 100% in the three areas of choice.

Make It Yours

Finally, the PoP is a simple framework and I’ve filled it in with the five points that are most resonant with my life, but make it yours by adding points, swapping points out, expanding or contracting your framework to help you balance and track your own life prioritization.

A blank template pentagon for you to fill in!