Priorities

The first time a former mentor asked me, “What are your top three priorities right now?” – I was caught off guard and stumbled badly in answering. The second time I was more concise and articulate in my response, and by the third time I had it NAILED: “My top three priorities are A, B and C.” Boom! I was in charge of a big turnaround, and these priorities were very operational in nature. It was important for my team and me to be laser focused (and I wasn’t) – and it served as a valuable reset. Seventeen years later, I can still remember clearly floundering on his initial inquiry. Moving forward, I was always ready for the question and clear in my reply (and prioritization).

Over the last month, I’ve been jolted again by the question, “What are your top priorities?” Not in an operational sense, but from a LIFE perspective. First from a pastor. Then from a financial consultant. Next from a travel agent. And then, one more time from another financial professional.

[Side note: There is a joke in there somewhere…”A pastor, a travel agent, and a financial advisor walk into a bar…”]

To top it off, at church we’ve been studying the Book of Luke for the bulk of 2023. Of the many impactful teachings by Luke, I’ve been convicted over and over again about working more towards other-oriented, eternal Kingdom priorities versus inwardly-focused, temporary worldly priorities.

This pattern is not an accident or coincidence. God is trying to get my attention and have me get clear on my key life priorities. [Insert Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessep here: Are we CLEAR, son? Me: Crystal!].

After all, it’s a simple question, right? What are your most important priorities in life?

Hmmm.

Within our church small group, we listened to our pastor (and dear friend, Dan Harty) outline a five-point, “life priorities” framework of: Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Creative, and Financial. He was preparing to give a talk at a business luncheon titled “Live and Lead with the End in Mind.”

So, my encouragement is to build a five-by-two grid with those five categories on the left and your big priorities listed/described on the right. If you have great clarity on this – congratulations! – encourage others to get clear. And, if you’re not quite ready to start writing, pray and reflect. Plus, grab your favorite beverage and start discussing this with those closest to you. We’re coming up on the beginning of a new year, and this is a great time to take personal and professional inventory and do a reset.

How well are you living and leading with the end in mind?

I am motivated to engage deeply in this process. I’m excited to get ‘crystal’ clear and be more intentional about what should be my real priorities. And I’m really excited to see how this unfolds in my and our journey.