For International World Happiness Day we have spoken with Lily Silverton-Parker on inspiration behind the priorities method and struggling to stay organised with day to day life.
Where did you find/hear about Norfolk Natural Living? It was a few years ago now, and I think it was through searching on google for a garment spray – I came across yours and completely fell in love with it and so many other products from the company.
What was your inspiration behind the priorities method? After a couple of years of coaching (and just living my own life!) I began to notice that the traditional goal-setting approach wasn’t really working as well as I’d hoped in the long-term. People were easily setting goals, but they weren’t necessarily committing themselves to the changes or habits needed to actually achieve them. They were also constantly complaining of overwhelm and burnout, of feeling like everything felt urgent. I’ve always been interested in priorities and how what we think is important shapes our lives, and after launching my podcast – Priorities – I began to re-orientate my work to develop an approach that put priorities first – whether it was using priorities to ensure clients were putting what they loved first, prioritising tasks to combat overwhelm or prioritising helpful thoughts and behaviours to combat stress. Essentially The Priorities Method teaches that, while goals are important, what’s much more essential for creating lasting, impactful change are the priorities that underpin them. It’s about searching for your ‘why’ in life, understanding the values, priorities and people that are truly important to you, and then organising your life so that the way you work and live is in alignment with that. It’s not about what you achieve, but how you show up for yourself and your loved ones, and ultimately, how you feel.
How to bring Joy to your daily routine? Life can feel tough and exhausting and chaotic at times, so for me it’s all about searching for the small moments of joy and making sure I appreciate them and prioritise them as much as possible. Dancing in the kitchen with my children, calm time for my one cup of coffee a day, a 10 minute phone call with a friend that lives on the other side of the world. Also just noticing stuff in nature always brings more joy and with Spring coming it’s the perfect time to prioritise that – look for one thing everyday that brings you a small moment of joy and see what an impact it makes on your mindset and the way you see the world.
What do you recommend to pick yourself up after a busy day? Totally depends on my mood! I’ve started playing piano again and I do find that sitting down to play for 15 minutes really helps me unwind and reset at the end of an intense day. A long hot bath while reading, immersed in a novel or watching something great is always a winner. I also quite like a dirty martini and a good chat with my husband or one of my best friends.
Your Favourite Norfolk Natural Living product and why? I love the lavender sleep spray and use it on my pillow every single night – my brain associates it with winding down and ending the day. I actually like it so much I buy loads at one time, and always end up giving it as presents. I’m also a huge fan of the geranium tomato leaf hand cream which smells incredible, I keep it on my desk in my home office.
What's your advice for those struggling to stay organised with day to day life? It’s so hard. I think one key thing to know is that it’s impossible to do it all, so if that’s what you’re doing, I would encourage you to give yourself a break. Then take some time on a Sunday or Monday to make a list of everything you ’need’ to do that week and ruthlessly prioritise it into: Urgent (do this stuff first) Important (do this stuff next) Kinda Important (do this stuff if you have time) and Not Important (do not do this stuff). It might involve saying no, dropping the ball or feeling like you’re letting someone else down, but sometimes we have to be okay with that in order to show up for ourselves. If you have to let someone down, think about when you can prioritise them in the future instead. It’s all about seeking out an overall balance to your life, as opposed to thinking you have to do it all the time!
What are your 2024 resolutions? My resolutions for 2024 centre around my priorities for the year (of course!) These include being ‘bold', so to that end I’m learning piano again (as above) after a 15 year break which has been humbling. I’ve also taken up running again, which I do as much as possible on the Heath in London, and ties into the priority of ‘fun’ (I appreciate it may not be the case for everyone!) Another priority for me is ‘inner peace, which is helpful to keep in mind when I have busy work periods or challenges with my kids – reminds me to stay on top of taking care of my own mind.
Thanks so much for reading!