Set priorities for your goals. A major part of
successful living lies in the ability to put first things
first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not
achieved is that we spend our time doing second
things first.
--Robert J. McKain
The simple fact is that there are only 24 hours in a
day. As I said last month, we can do everything we
want; we just can’t do it all at the same time. We
choose our priorities.
One of my students at St. Philip’s College told me she
hadn’t had time to work on an assignment. I asked
her if she had taken a shower that morning. When
she said yes, I explained that it’s never about not
having enough time. It’s about priorities. Every day,
you fill your time with the activities that have made
it to the top of your to-do list. If you don’t get
something done, it’s because something else held a
higher priority. I’m not suggesting that my students
forego their showers. But we all make choices every
day in how we spend our time.
Filling your life
One of my favorite
stories is the one about the
mayonnaise jar and the philosophy professor. (If you
haven’t read this one, drop me an email and I’ll send
it to you.) The professor makes the point that we
need to fill our life with the important things first
because otherwise there will not be room for those
things. I can fritter away time better than just
about anyone just by downloading my email. But if I
focus on writing first thing in the morning, it gets
done. Somehow, the email still gets answered (and
the spam still gets deleted.)
When we are asked to do something that requires
our time, money, or energy, we need to decide if
that activity or contribution gets us closer to our
dream. If it does, then it’s a simple matter to find
the resources to make it happen. If it doesn’t, a
decision needs to be made. For instance, if my
dream is to have $100,000 in savings, and I’m asked
to contribute to a worthy cause, I have to be aware
that the resources that I donate are resources that
could be put toward my dream. It may be that the
cause is one that I especially believe in, but I have
to be aware that I am diverting those resources from
the stated dream.
Directing the resources
The same thing
is true of our time and energy. If the
activity I am asked to participate in takes my time
and/or energy, I need to be aware of the redirection
of my resources. Some activities take my time, but
actually energize me so that I can work harder or
longer on the projects that get me closer to my
dream. Some activities, however, rob me of time and
energy. I have to be especially cautious on those.
What energizes you? What extracts energy from
you? What would your life be like if you could
eliminate most of the activities that deplete your
energy? Keep a notebook for a week, writing down
the activities each day and rating them on a -10 to
+10 scale. If the activity wears you out so much
that you have to sleep afterward for an equivalent
amount of time, rate it a -10. If the activity seems
to add hours to your day because of the energy it
adds, rate it a +10. (Most of your activities will
probably be closer to the baseline.) At the end of
the week, look back over your list and see how many
of the “energy-depleters” you can eliminate. See
how many you can reschedule to a time when you
are not your best. On the “energy-increasers,” see
how many of them you can do more often. (Even
better, figure out how to make money doing those
activities!)
Make conscious decisions on these activities.
Know that your dream is within your reach, but
only if you are willing to make it a top priority.
