I struggle with priorities. Although the word "priority" and the phrase "the priority list" are commonly tossed around these days, let's be honest, prioritizing the right priorities is hard! It's easy in the summer when I don't have many pressing commitments, but as soon as life gets busy...here we go again. I have to take a step back and evaluate my life often. August is here, which means for me school is almost here, and this year I am going to be proactive in ordering my life around my priorities on the front end.
My Bible study leader, Jamie, has taught me how and why to order and examine my life around priorities. A while ago she challenged me to number my priorities and then have a reason why each priority is in its place. This has proven very beneficial to me!
I want to extend the same challenge to you. Here's how it goes...Write your priorities down; don't just think about them, writing makes you commit to the priorities being in a certain order. Have a reason why you have each priority in its place. This can be anything...a verse in the Bible, a moral code, family values, etc. Then, and don't leave this part out, examine your life. How does it match up? When you look at your day or week, does it look like your priorities are in order? Think specifically... Questions I ask myself are...How am I spending my time? (In order to answer this, I have to think about a day or week at a time and write down the hours I spend on certain things to see where I was devoting time.) How am I spending my money? What consumes my thoughts? Who am I trying to please?...This is totally individual so there are no right or wrong answers for sure!
Do you ever find yourself with jumbled priorities or just feeling like your life is out of whack? Have you ever taken time to examine your priorities in life?
Go ahead, I know you are thinking about it, and I also know you are probably thinking that you will get to this later! Go ahead, pick up your pencil, and think priorities.
I will do a follow-up post sometime soon with my thoughts!!
My Bible study leader, Jamie, has taught me how and why to order and examine my life around priorities. A while ago she challenged me to number my priorities and then have a reason why each priority is in its place. This has proven very beneficial to me!
I want to extend the same challenge to you. Here's how it goes...Write your priorities down; don't just think about them, writing makes you commit to the priorities being in a certain order. Have a reason why you have each priority in its place. This can be anything...a verse in the Bible, a moral code, family values, etc. Then, and don't leave this part out, examine your life. How does it match up? When you look at your day or week, does it look like your priorities are in order? Think specifically... Questions I ask myself are...How am I spending my time? (In order to answer this, I have to think about a day or week at a time and write down the hours I spend on certain things to see where I was devoting time.) How am I spending my money? What consumes my thoughts? Who am I trying to please?...This is totally individual so there are no right or wrong answers for sure!
Do you ever find yourself with jumbled priorities or just feeling like your life is out of whack? Have you ever taken time to examine your priorities in life?
Go ahead, I know you are thinking about it, and I also know you are probably thinking that you will get to this later! Go ahead, pick up your pencil, and think priorities.
I will do a follow-up post sometime soon with my thoughts!!
Man oh man... Will do, excellent challenge! I really like doing the "why" beside each thing, as well as wondering how my priorities play out in my THOUGHTS and not just actions...
ReplyDeleteHave you ever looked at Priscilla Shirer's blog? Her latest article in the "jewelry box" goes along with your post! http://www.goingbeyond.com/jewelry-box It's so good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! Loved it, especially this quote...“Balance is not when the boxes are equally filled but when we are free to fill only those that are important for now, without feeling guilt over the ones that we’ve left for another time and place."
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