Do You Really Know What Your Priorities Are?

I want. I need. Give me this. Give me that. In America today, our own self is the #1 priority for most people. Over and over I see, and experience myself, another priority. It happens when people can’t say no. I think there is a good possibility their priority is to please others. Whichever, do you know what your priorities are?

Pleasing others as a priority created a monster in our lives. Increased calls and demands sent us on rabbit trails keeping us from our normal duties. Setting priorities to create boundaries became a necessity if we were going to survive and thrive.

I began observing our priorities, or lack of. I once heard, “If you want to know what is important to a person, look in their checkbook.” So, I soon noticed my written list of priorities didn’t match my words or actions. How about you? It’s so easy to say anything, but what do we live? Do your words and actions reflect your priorities?

How do you begin such a daunting task? Once I heard a simple idea. An instructor had students write down 10 things that meant the most to them. He continued talking a bit before asking them to choose five from those. More time passed before he had them narrow it down to three. Finally, they were forced to choose the most important.

This cumbersome task is just the beginning. When scheduling, surgeries are a priority to us for church members. But, what if a volunteer doesn’t show up at our ministry’s thrift store to work, or the community dinner to cook? A dilemma is born. We’ve even had a truck expected to pick up pallets of Bibles which is my husband’s source of income, while a food donation truck unexpectedly arrived at the church to be unloaded for our feeding program. Talk about getting your priorities tested. So, how do you resolve such dilemmas? You ask yourself further questions.

1. Can someone else do one of these jobs?

2. Are they available

3. Can either be rescheduled?

4. What is the consequence if no one shows at either place?

5. If it ends up being only you, is there another solution without including others?

Usually, we’re able to find someone to at least meet a truck, buying time until we get there if they’re not physically able themselves or don’t have a key to the church. Sometimes we’ve called a trucking company to get the driver’s phone number to find out their location to see if we have enough time to take care of the other situation at hand. Lastly, we’ve written a note and left on the warehouse for the truck coming for the Bibles informing them when we’ll return.

As you can see, setting priorities isn’t always simple. Parents face similar dilemmas picking children up from school and taking to practices. Overlapping activities, different schools, or even a sick child compounds priorities. Work remains the top priority when extended family can assist with transportation, or watch a sick child. If not,your priority will change. Oh, but what if your boss won’t penalize you for taking half a day off to take care of your sick child, or they let you bring him/her to work?

Setting priorities is continuous, is frequently done subconsciously, and can be complex. That’s why we need to lay a foundation of knowing our true priorities instead of what we quickly jot down. I spent over a year observing before my husband and I attempted to work on this together. We’re a work in progress as we continue running into new situations.

Join me in evaluating your priorities and setting new ones. Share your thoughts and experiences with all of us to glean from in the comments below.

Thanks.

© 2015, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.