I will be honest and say that my priorities have been somewhat messed up for longer than I would like to admit. I think I have been able to accept my order of priorities because I had some misguided idea that if I were really busy and providing for my family, my priorities must be pretty well in order.
Not so fast my friend! Busy only counts in the make believe world that says that if you are accomplishing much your priorities must be in order. We have all heard the expression hindsight is 20/20 but I don’t think it’s realistic to say “If I had it to do over again I would …” because the only reason we would do it different is because of the outcome that we just experienced.
I took this picture from my deck tonight as I grilled a hamburger for dinner. I have seen many sunsets like this one but this was the first time it struck me that the sun going down is kind of like our life. We have bright, sunny periods when all seems to be in order and then there are times, like when the sun goes down, when everything starts turning dark and we can’t really see where we are or where we are going. I never looked at it quite like that … until tonight.
I am currently working on identifying what my priorities are and more importantly, am working to put them in the right order. I think John Maxwell in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, gives pretty good advice when he says that:
“leaders must order their lives according to three questions.”
1. What Is Required?
We are all accountable to someone for the work we do. We are also responsible to our families and those that we care for. If you are a person of faith, I am sure that you feel a responsibility to act in the way God intended. So what is required? I will leave the order of these up to you but for me it should be my faith, my family and then everything else. I am still working on this but at least I know the right order.
2. What Gives The Greatest Return?
The things that we do best are the things that give us the greatest return. Maxwell says that if someone else can do something 80% as good as you, you should delegate it to them. Focus on doing the things that give you the greatest return on your investment of time and do them.
3. What Brings The Greatest Reward?
Here is the one that I think many of us fall short in. Our culture has taught us that the greatest reward comes in the form of fortune and fame. I think I have been somewhat guilty of that all my life. I justified a messed up priority system with financially providing for my family. The result was 25 years of long hours and missed opportunities. What is the greatest reward? My wife saying “thanks for spending the afternoon with me.” One of my boys saying “thanks for taking me to the ball game.” Or even a friend saying “thanks for helping me deal with a water leak.” That’s the greatest reward.
For those of you wondering – you can’t put a price on it. You already know this – time is the one thing in life that we can’t get any more of. You can’t buy it. You can’t borrow it. You can’t even steal it. What you can do is spend it wisely.
My challenge for you today is to take a hard look at your priorities and consider what is required of you, what will give you the greatest return and what will bring you the greatest reward. My guess … some adjustments may be needed.
SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY. YOU WON’T GET A DO OVER ON THIS ONE!
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Next Up: Law # 18 – The Law of Sacrifice
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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 9/5/12 photo by author
