Why you should get your priorities right

Priority is a function of context. It depends on what you want and the importance you attach to things in your scale of preference per time. Sadly, most people fail to get their priorities right, which is why they don’t succeed in life.

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First thing must always come first in your order of things. If you hope to succeed in life, you must get your priorities right. This is where imitation could be very dangerous. You need to get organized. A well organized person stands a better chance of succeeding at any venture. You decide what’s important to you per time. When you wake up, you plan your day. It is better to write down what you want to do. This is where priorities come in. You may decide to complete yesterday’s assignments before you embark on new ones. Whatever it is you are doing, deal with the vital issues first. Then, attend to the others in order of importance. That is how to maximize your time. A daily list of your plans enables you to know how to achieve the most you can within the limited time available. You must realize that time is never enough to do anything. Take full advantage of every opportunity and learn to take your chances. Time waits for no one.

Today’s major issues may become minor tomorrow. In fact, what you consider indispensable today could be unimportant tomorrow. Never be a slave to priorities. What that means is that you should be flexible. Usually, circumstances of the moment often compel us to reorder our priorities. For Example you may be planning to do your wedding. That may be your priority for the moment. You are in the thick of it when you suddenly lost a parent. What do you do? You can decide to push the funeral forward and wed your sweetheart, or bury the dead first before going to the wedding registry. In deciding things like this, you take many things into consideration. You are likely to have a lot of conflicting opinions, so you and your partner have to decide how to proceed, depending on your priority.

Sometimes, when we reorder our priorities, it turns out to be a game changer. One middle-aged man decided to quit his job to spend more time with his wife. He had enough resources to guarantee a fairly comfortable retirement. Rather than keep accumulating wealth, he preferred to enjoy the company of his lovely wife. Is he foolish? No. In his younger, more active years, he certainly won’t take such decision.

Therefore, to a great extent, circumstances could determine your priorities. Young people should learn to order their priorities because that’s a key factor of success. You should be very realistic. Be your own worst critic, but you don’t have to be harsh on yourself.

Your scale of preference must always change per time because the world is constantly in a flux. On account of my age, I have now decided to pay more attention to my health. At over 60, there are things I don’t do anymore because it would harm my health. If I fail to take adequate care of myself, I risk killing myself. So, I take things easy now. I am very selective in my outings. I maximize my time. I don’t give attention to frivolities. I used to be a very active man but, not anymore. If you are married and have children, you must take them into consideration.

You ought to make your family the focus of your attention. After God, your family should come first. If your job schedule is tight, you should adjust things, so that your wife and children rank high in your priorities. They need quality attention.

Don’t make foolish choices. You have to know that leisure cannot come before work. Relaxation comes after the day’s work. You work hard and play hard. You use the reward of your labour to pay for leisure. If you play too much, and neglect your work, you’d pay dearly for it.

It is sensible to give quality attention to what pays you a good dividend. Don’t get involved with friends who add no value to your life. They are excess luggage. An aircraft gets rid of excess luggage lest it imperils its flight. You get rid of excess fat so that you don’t become overweight.

In the Bible story of creation, God’s priority is man, even though we were created last. In the order of things, including plants and animals were on ground before man and woman were formed. Yet, it pleased the Almighty God, to make Adam the federal head of mankind, and by implication, the leader of the world. God pays special attention to man, and gave him dominion over all of creation. That’s God’s priority.

The lesson here is that priority may not necessarily be a question of merit. It all depends on what you consider more important than others. You don’t owe anyone any explain as to why you order your priorities. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Get your priorities right, that’s the way to success.

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Weekend spice:

“A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall”
– Abraham Lincoln.

Ok folks, let’s do it again next Friday. Stay motivated.

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Ladi Ayodeji is an Author, Rights Activist, Pastor and Life coach. He can be reached on 09059243004 (SMS & WhatsApp only)