8 - Priorities
Suppose you had a bank that credited your account each morning with 1440 francs with one condition: the portion you failed to use during the day would be erased and no balance could be carried over. What would you do? You’d draw out every franc every day and use it to your advantage.
Well, you do have such a bank and its name is “time.” Every morning you are credited with 1440 minutes. The portion you fail to invest to a good purpose is written off as lost forever.
“Look carefully then how you walk!
Live purposefully and worthily and accurately,
not as the unwise and witless,
but as wise—sensible, intelligent people;
Making the very most of the time—
buying up each opportunity—
because the days are evil.”
—Ephesians 5:15-16 (AMPC)
Remember, you cannot do everything or be everywhere. You must prioritize. Even Jesus, our Lord and Savior, did not try to do it all. In fact, that’s one reason why the Holy Spirit was sent. Jesus could not be everywhere with everyone, but the Spirit of God could.
Jesus lived a life of priorities empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking we can do it all! We have to program ourselves and our lives around our priorities.
One human endowment that differentiates us from other species is our power to execute an independent will, which is the ability to make decisions and choices based on beliefs of our choosing. We are constantly faced with situations demanding a decision or choice, each one planting a seed today that will grow into our future.
Where we are today is a result of the choices we made yesterday.
Setting priorities is making a commitment with yourself to “walk the talk.” It is programming yourself with the blueprints of success, a road map to making your dreams a reality.
The first place to start is to identify your personal priorities. For me, it is very simple: God first, family second, job third.
Some years ago when I was doing my specialty training, money was scarce and I had a family that was dependent upon me. I accepted an offer to work with another dentist in the evenings and on weekends. One week before, my nephew was admitted to the hospital in Atlanta. I was faced with the decision to begin working or cancel and leave for Atlanta immediately. Suddenly a still voice within myself said, “Priorities.” There was no question about what to do because work is subordinate to my family.
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
—Goethe
ACTION PLAN #8
Write down five of your top priorities in order of importance.
Make a list of your ten best friends. These are people you can count on to be there for you.
Place these priorities and people at the top of your list when making decisions.