Important. First things first!

Why is it so challenging to keep my priorities the priority?

I tell myself “discipline”
instead I move toward “dopamine!”

I commit to focused work,
instead I hold hands with “my distraction rectangle.”

I aim to eat healthy,
and open my mouth to sugar sugar sugar.

I’m not too discouraged by problems like these. I’m not surprised or discouraged because I think we all face this priority problem in various ways. So, I’m not alone. You are not alone.

As the problem comes in various ways so to I think that the solutions can come in various ways.

One solution I like is of ROCKS. I believe Covey originated this idea. His analogy involves a jar that must be filled with rocks (major priorities), pebbles, and sand – emphasizing that you must put the big rocks in first, or they won’t all fit.

I find this so true. If I don’t make room in my life for what I believe are the most important things, then life has a way of filling up with unimportant and urgent things. For example,

• I need to be intentional in spending quality time with my wife and kids. If I don’t the days fly by my kids grow up and my wife becomes distant. Each week in our calendar we have “family day”. It is a priority.
• I need to make room in my week for exercise.
• I even need to block off time for things like rest and relaxing. If I don’t, no one else will and pretty soon I become more irritable than I should be.

What is important to you? Do you prioritise it in the real world of your day to day life?

In my world the most important ROCK that I think many people misplace is God. We are so busy with so many things we see that it can be understandably easy to forget the #1 priority that we can’t necessarily “see”.

One way that millions of people around the world make room for God is through prayer. Do you pray? Perhaps you did a few times as a kid. What if it became a priority in your life. I would like to propose that it could and that you and I would be better off if it was. Those who seek will find.

This week I started reading a book called: “Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer.” After only one chapter in I think it may be the best book on prayer I have ever read (excluding the Bible😉) and I have definitely read a lot of books on prayer. It is inspiring. You will want to pray like never before when you read it. It is insightful. The thoughts on prayer are extraordinarily liberating and helpful. It is story. Along with great content is great story telling that will keep even the least booky person engaged. I recommend it to you.

May we make room in our lives for The Rock and the Rocks. ❤️