MASTERING PRIORITIES
Updated: Apr 9, 2020
“Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you from your best.”
– Helen Keller
Do you ever feel as if your life is spinning out of control? Maybe things haven’t gotten quite that bad yet, but you do know that things are definitely out of whack and you feel confused, dazed and wondering why you haven’t been experiencing the success you had hoped for. Believe me when I say that there have been many times over the years that I have felt this way. Whenever I have analyzed things to try to discover the “who, what, when, where, why and how” of the situation, I have nearly always come to the realization that my priorities were out of “kilter”!
I need to admit this has always been one of the toughest areas of my life to master. I share with you, not because I think I have “arrived” in this area, but because I understand the importance of setting my priorities and keeping them right and know that it is something I must work at diligently and consistently.
Thinking about and working on priorities is not something you do only once a year; once a week isn’t even often enough. The key to maintaining the right priorities in life is to keep them forefront in your mind everyday. It’s a daily responsibility only you can attend to and no one else can do it for you.
If, after setting your priorities, things still do not appear to be working in your life, take another look at your priorities. Quite possibly, they may not be in the proper order, or maybe you are leaving something out, or trying to include something that really should not be a priority at all. At this point you will need to get tougher on yourself. You will need to be honest with yourself as you seek to discover what works and what doesn’t work.
Right now, take out a sheet of paper and write down your top ten life priorities. Post them in a place where you can look at them everyday for one week. Ask yourself questions, such as these: Am I happy? Am I balanced? Is what I am doing working for me? What’s my next step?
Once you have established your priorities, take time to update them on a regular basis. Share them with your family, and ask someone whom you trust to hold you accountable to consistently living out your priorities. Remember the goal is to keep your life balanced in each of your priorities. If you will do this, it won’t be long and you will see that you are truly learning to master your priorities.