Making Time - Finding Balance

I know several people who make time for themselves.  They exercise.  They meet with friends.  They put themselves first.  And it all seems effortless.  I was not born with that gene.  I tend to do everything else first and give myself whatever time is left.  There often isn't any time left for me.  I struggle with finding the balance and time to do all that I want to do - to achieve and meet my deadlines and goals (most self imposed).  I often find laziness at the core.  I'm too tired.  I don't have the energy.  Excuses.  A general disrespect for my own goals.

I often list the things I want to accomplish.  The list goes on and on and never seems to end.  And I don't complete all that I want to.  I over-schedule, over-commit, spend too much time on things that don't matter and not enough on what does.  Finding the "balance" often seems to evade me. 

Because of this, I have decided to make a new list.  A list of what really matters.  A list of the goals that are most important to me.  A list of secondary goals.  What I fear, is that the list of what really matters will still be too large and will be unattainable.  That there still won't be enough hours in the day to complete them all - to concentrate on what is most important.  But how ridiculous is that?  Why would I fear putting in order that which is most important to me?  Wouldn't it be better to at least dig in and try rather than let fear paralyze any action at all?

A preliminary list of things that are important to me looks like this:

1)  Health - figure out a method of eating that will sustain me while giving me optimum health and well being and will fit within my tight budget.
2)  Continue to study my craft and become the best I can be.  This includes time for continued self study in all aspects of my career and Reiki.
3)  Meditate.  Take the time to center myself.  To give myself the quiet that I seek. 
4)  Spend time with God.  This could be part of the meditation process.  I struggle with this because my prayer time is full of thoughts and thanksgiving while meditation requires quieting of the mind.  But does prayer equal meditation?  Hmmmmm.
5)  Foster my family.  Give them the love and attention that they need.
6)  Continue to organize my life.
7)  Get enough sleep.
8)  Exercise
9)  Blog consistently.  Through writing, I find that my thoughts and feelings take wing.  I am energized, focused and reminded. 

This is preliminary.  There is so much more.  What should rise to the top?  What should fall away.  It's all important to me.  Maybe some of it should be - maybe some of it shouldn't be.  Maybe I'm even more overwhelmed just looking at it.  I think the important thing is to study it.  I think that for me, the key is to decide where I want to be, prioritize, set the intention, and focus.  I have to stop trying to be everything, all the time.  That is my goal for this week.  Get my goals in order.  Give my intentions to the universe and soldier on.  Stop wasting time and give my time the respect it deserves.  Stop giving myself the scraps and respect myself enough to put myself at the top.