Priorities are different than goals. Goals are what you strive for; priorities are
what you actually do. I thought my
priorities were the same as my goals.
After all, I am working on my books and my weight loss and my blog and
my exercise program and all of my other goals.... wait a minute! The summer is gone and I haven’t made much progress
on my goals! What happened?
I have my plans… I set my schedule… and I make time to work toward my goals. Then, when I least expect it, things crop up and consume my time, attention, and energy. I call these things “interruptions.” I could write an entire book about interruptions! They happen every day and they have the power to distract me and ultimately destroy my goal success!
I have my plans… I set my schedule… and I make time to work toward my goals. Then, when I least expect it, things crop up and consume my time, attention, and energy. I call these things “interruptions.” I could write an entire book about interruptions! They happen every day and they have the power to distract me and ultimately destroy my goal success!
This summer, I learned that this phenomenon of
“interruptions” is my biggest challenge in reaching my goal of writing a book. It’s not one big interruption, like taking a trip
or having out-of-town visitors. Those
things are temporary and short-term, and when it's over, I can get back on
track. I’m talking about the little
things, the busyness, that happen every day to distract me and consume my time
and keep me from working toward my goals.
For example, I think of all the things that keep me from my
morning devotion. I have time (I make
time) to take my dog out, feed him, feed myself, shower, dress, put makeup on,
make the bed, and clean out the dishwasher.
When I’m ready to leave the house to go to work, I don’t have time to
stop and read my devotion and pray! It
will just have to wait. I will do it
later.
At the end of the day, there is just too much to do. After dinner, I need to go through the mail,
pay my bills. My husband and I have to
look online for a new car. My
stepdaughter needs my help to review an essay she has written for school. The phone rings… I haven’t talked with my
friend in a while, so we chat for an hour.
I need to take the dog for a walk.
There is one more load of laundry to do.
I haven’t cleaned the kitchen yet!
Well, I’ve just shown you what my
priorities are.
On the days that I make God my priority and begin the day
with a devotion, I find that everything else falls into place. I can’t explain it. It just happens. When I have days like that, I make a promise
to myself that I will always put God first, every day. When God is my priority, I experience the benefit
of having God in control of my day. He
guides my steps and He helps me to keep my priorities in order.
What are your priorities?
Do they match your goals?
If your goal progress is stalled, consider starting the day
with the Lord and committing your goal-setting plans to Him. Track your progress and discover what your
priorities really are. Make necessary
adjustments. Make the time... just as we
do for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Most importantly, God should be our first priority!
Devotion
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Prayer:
Lord, help me to stay in your Word. Thank you for leading me to this verse in Proverbs. These few words tell me so much about goal setting. I need your help to keep my priorities in a proper order so that I can accomplish my goals. Thank you for showing me that daily interruptions can be prioritized and managed. Help me to look to you first, not last, as you are the most important priority in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
© 2016 Linda Lijewski
