Family Priority Worksheet

Not Everything Can Be the Priority at the Same Time

Families may be carrying financial pressure, parenting concerns, couple conflict, caregiving demands, extended-family responsibilities, health issues and practical household strain all at once.

Trying to fix everything simultaneously can produce another form of overwhelm.

The Family Priority Worksheet helps you decide what deserves focused attention now.

Use the Family Priority Worksheet
Explore the Family Pattern Map

The Worksheet Journey

Priority-Setting Process
  1. NOTICE
  2. CONSIDER
  3. PRIORITISE
  4. DEFINE
  5. PREPARE

The worksheet moves from:

From Concern to Priority
  1. CONCERN
  2. PRIORITY
  3. CHANGE TARGET
  4. STRATEGY-READY BRIEF

NOTICE

List the main concerns without assuming they all have equal urgency or importance.

Also name relevant strengths that should be protected.

CONSIDER

Ask what may be:

  • Affecting several parts of family life
  • Causing significant strain
  • Realistically changeable
  • Developmentally timely
  • Important to family wellbeing
  • Requiring preparation before ordinary change work

PRIORITISE

Focus Now

The family is reasonably ready to work here.

Prepare First

Something must happen before this can be addressed well.

Keep in View

Important, but not the current focus.

Park for Later

Not ignored—deliberately deferred.

Safety Is Outside Ordinary Prioritisation

A significant safety concern is not something to rank beneath a more convenient household goal.

Safety concerns can change the direction of the work altogether.

DEFINE

Turn a broad concern into a clearer change target.

For example:

Instead of:

“Fix our marriage.”

Use:

“Create a workable way to discuss significant financial commitments before decisions are made.”

The aim is to describe specifically what improvement would look like rather than relying on broad goals such as “communicate better” or “fix our finances.”

PREPARE

Finish with a concise Family Priority Brief.

Ask these questions:

  • What are we focusing on?
  • Why does it matter now?
  • What strength do we want to protect?
  • What change are we trying to create?
  • What relevant pattern or context should we remember?
  • Are we ready for strategy—or is another step needed first?

Develop Your Family Wellness Strategy

Develop a Family Wellness Strategy

Scroll to Top