Order Your Priorities in Life! Discover What’s Truly Important

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Are the things that are truly important in your life getting prioritized as so?

We tend to get the little and big things backwards. In other words we have a tendency to over work ourselves to the point of stress and perhaps for some, sleeplessness, over things that seem bigger than they truly are. But in reality, they are small, insignificant, and most often forgettable. However, because we are so caught up in those little things, we neglect to make room for what matters most. What we need to do is examine and order our priorities in life. Let me explain!

A Quick Example: Little Thing vs. Big Thing

Have you ever taken the time to prepare elaborate Bento Box style lunches for your school-age children? While I don’t yet have school age children, I am guilty of taking too much time preparing elaborate snacks for my son. Then I think of the brown bag sandwiches with which my mother sent me to school. I didn’t care, much less remember. On the other hand what I did care about and remember to this day is coming home from school every day and finding my mother on the couch reading a book, waiting for me to walk in so she could say to me, “Hi Sweet Pea. How was your day?” My mother had the order of priorities in her life correct. Sometimes I would talk, and others not so much. But knowing she was always there to ask the question and listen was comforting. It’s those seemingly insignificant moments—they are the big things that matter most!

Order of Your Priorities. Discover What's Truly Important in Life

You might say, however, ‘but those little things only really take a moment of time‘. Yes, but put them all together, they add up to several moments of time. So many moments, in fact, that before you know it the day is nearly over and you have had lots of moments doing the little things that don’t matter so much and are easily forgotten. In the process, you will have had little or no time for the big things that really do matter.

The Little Things in the Order of Priorities

To be clear, by little things, I mean the daily, rather mundane tasks. Tasks like changing shoes at the last minute before walking out the door. Or taking a quick moment to grab your sunglasses, slip on a simple necklace, or wash that one last dish sitting on the counter. Sweeping up that little crumb on the floor, or flossing in the morning instead of at night, even though you are in a rush out the door. And let’s double check our eye lashes to be sure they aren’t clumping together because the mascara is a tad too thick. As mentioned above, taking time to prepare elaborate lunches and snacks for out children because we think it sends a clear message to them and others that we are great mothers. In reality, the kids don’t care and they don’t remember these sort of things. These are so often the very things that take time away from what is truly important. If we can get our order of priorities in life right, we can make room for what truly matters most. So let’s begin to be more aware of these little things and put them in their right place.

So what are the big things then?

The Big Things in the Order of Priorities

By big things, I mean taking the time to stop and listen to your son who has something very important to tell you about dinosaurs or monster trucks. How about giving your husband a simple yet much needed smile or hug or both. Or making a nice meal that can be enjoyed as a family, and not worrying about the dishes afterwards. Have you danced in the living room with your child to their favorite song? Simply saying “goodnight” and “I love you” to your husband before turning out the light. These are the things that are truly important, and we need to make room for them because they are what matter most. The big things. But how do we begin prioritizing these seemingly insignificant moments?

Listen and Engage in the Moment

Someone I knew once spoke about a lesson she learned as a boy mom. Whenever one of her boys came to her to talk, she needed to drop everything she was doing at that moment, give eye contact, and listen. It took her a long time to figure this out. For a long time she believed she could just put the conversation off by telling them to “hold that thought” or that she would come talk to them “later”. But what she came to realize, partially through her husband, was that, unlike girls, boys don’t hold onto thoughts. They don’t save their thoughts for a later conversation. If she wanted to engage and connect with her sons, she realized that it was necessary for her to stop what she was doing and take the time to listen and engage with them in that moment.

Friends, I don’t know if this is a gender specific thing or not. However, I would suggest applying this concept to all of our children, boys and girls, and even to our spouses. Stop, take the time in the moment, and be present. Engage in meaningful conversation. Let those little things wait and instead, make room for what matters most. Cultivate the big things in the moment! It is the big things that matter and that will no doubt be remembered.

My Top Priority in Life

What is my own top priority? How can I order priorities in my life to ensure I am not missing out on those big moments? Below I have listed my NUMBER ONE Priority and the best ways I know to put it in that number one place in my own life. Check it out!

My Top Priority: Intentionally Cultivating and Building Relationships

Listening to others as they talk and share. I mean, really listening!
Smiling more at others, especially when in conversations.
Discovering ways to serve others I love and those around me.
Taking time for quality time, even if there are a million other things to do
Offering verbal sweetness often. That means being liberal about offering words of encouragement and affirmation to those I love and others around me.

Order of Priorities in Life: Refection

What are some little things that end up taking up too much of your time and energy?
What are three big things you want to spend more time doing each day/week?

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