This will be a quick one because it’s just a reminder of what you already know. But, if you’re like me, sometimes you need a reminder.
“Always do the most important stuff first.”
— Mom
In terms of ordering our lives, there will almost always be more to do than time to do it. And more options than our ability to choose, so being able to prioritize is critical.
When I was growing up, that usually meant that I had to finish my Algebra homework before I could watch TV. When I was in college it meant that I needed to finish my homework before I could go play pool or watch TV (I didn’t do as well with that sometimes). And now it means that I always try to put what’s most important in the first part of my day.
What does that look like?
The beginnings of days often look like this:
- Up early (for me) at about 5:15
- Read the Bible (my current plan)
- Spend a few minutes (or moments) in prayer
- Update our church’s website
- Create new content (blog post, etc)
- Find good stuff to share on Twitter, Facebook, etc – I use Google Reader and Buffer (referral link) to help with that
- Hit up Facebook & Twitter for birthdays, etc (if I have time)
- Get breakfast together
- Eat and spend a few minutes with my family
- Shower, shave, and off to work, where I use the same principles to build my day
I think you can probably see from how the beginning of my day is structured what I believe is most important. While I don’t always follow this perfectly, I try to stay in the habit of following it because I will always be more effective if I do what’s important before I do what’s not.
How about you?
- What’s most important to you?
- What does your morning look like?
