Getting Real About Priorities

What is your biggest priority? Another way to ask this question is, “Who or what do you serve?” The answer to the question cuts right to the heart of each one of us.

Lots of times, we’ve got really good intentions about what we want our priorities to be. God, family, mastering a new skill, being a certain kind of person, reaching certain professional or financial goals. Only you know what you want your highest priority to be. It’s a very personal choice.

Where we seem to get into trouble is when our priorities differ in reality than they do in our desires.

Here’s a good way to tell if your priorities differ in reality than they do in your desires. Start paying attention to what you think about when your mind is at rest. When your mind drifts, where does it drift to? When you discover a theme, you’ve discovered your priorities, your “master”, who or what you serve.

If you’re constantly thinking about work, then work is your priority. (Read: work is your master). If you’re constantly thinking about what other people think of you, then your ego may be your priority (master). If you’re constantly thinking about trivia, that night’s television line up, or what movie to see this weekend, then escape may be your priority (master). If you’re constantly worried or afraid, then worry and fear may be your priorities (masters).

Please understand, I’m in no position to judge anyone’s priorities and do not mean to do so in any way. It’s just that if the desires (priorities) of our hearts are not our priorities in reality, we’ll never be really happy. And worse yet, we may be kidding ourselves and not even know it.

I believe the key to shifting our priorities is immersing ourselves in them. Train your brain (and heart) to focus on what matters to you. This doesn’t mean that you never have fun or that everything you do or think has to have some major heavy-duty intense purpose. It also may not mean that you change one minute of the way that your time is presently allotted. It’s a matter of focus.

If your children are truly your priority, spend more time with them if you can. Make the time that you do spend with them is high quality. Make sure they’re aware of how much they matter to you. Speak to them in a way that builds them up and lets them know how loved and valued they are.

If your faith is your priority, immerse yourself in the Bible. Listen to music and read books that strengthen and edify your faith. Attend the church of your choice. Find a mentor and get your questions answered. Take time to pray—God is interested in you, wants to hear from you and has much to share with you as well.

For anyone else who could use some work in this department, let’s make this the year that we get our actual priorities and our desired priorities on the same track. Imagine what added energy, passion and drive we’ll have. Imagine operating with that level of authenticity and congruence. Imagine the increased clarity and ease of decision-making. How would life change for you? Now that’s something worth thinking about.