How to Get Your Priorities on Track

 

How are your priorities doing?

Do you know what they are?

Which of them come first in your life?

It’s time to get your priorities on track.

And to get that train moving down the tracks towards your goals.

Getting Your Priorities Lined Up

The other day I was faced with deciding between two opportunities.

Both were exciting. I wanted to take on both, but knew that I could not.

How to know which one to do?

For a brief moment I was unsure. However, the decision was soon clear. When I compared the two opportunities to my current priorities, one was far more important to me, even though the other was shiny and exciting.

I was able to make this decision quickly because my priorities were lined up. Thus, I knew which precedence to give each opportunity.

When I visualize the order of my priorities, I like to use a train car analogy. Think of each of your priorities as a train car, lined up and rolling down the tracks of life.

I like this analogy because it represents the organization of your priorities.

You have to put them in order. They cannot be side-by-side.

You have to keep them in check. They must stay on the rails.

And finally, you have to know where they are going, what their destination is.

“A good way to visualize your priorities is as a line of train cars lined up and rolling down the rails of life to the destination of your choosing.”

Your Priority Train

Is your priority train lined up?

Do you know which of your priorities are most important? Which come ahead of others?

Here are just a few tips to help you get your priorities on track:

• Get Organized – Some basic organization is needed if you are going to get your priorities in order. After all, it is hard to have a clear view and be productive if you are a cluttered mess.
• Put Them in Order – People tend to not like to put their priorities in order, however, you must do this. You need to know which are more important to you. Your family time or your job advancement? Your workout program or your reading habit? You have to know which comes first so that you can make daily decisions about your actions.
• One at a Time – When it comes to dealing with priorities, you have to take them one at a time. Multitasking only leads to undone tasks and activities. Once you have your priorities in order, you can deal with them one at a time.
• Is This the Right Train? – Make sure you are dealing with your priorities. Or have you attached other people’s burdens and expectations to your train? Perhaps, an even more powerful question is, “Are your priorities on the right track?“
• Keep Them Connected – Just like train cars, all of your priorities need to be connected. After all, all areas of your life are connected. Your priorities affect each other. Make sure you are aware of the links between them.
• Is Your Train on the Rails? – If it isn’t, things are going to get messy quick, like a train that has left its rails. But, the rails are there for a reason. To keep you on your path. You can use them as leverage, and habit, to keep your priorities and goals rolling towards their destination.
• Has Your Train Left the Station? – Getting your priority train lined up is important. However, you won’t get anywhere if it never leaves the station. You can’t finish anything if you don’t start.

Leaving the Station

Could you quickly name the order of your priorities?

Just like a line of train cars, your priorities need to be in order, on the tracks, and headed to a destination.

Get yours in order today.

And then you can get that train moving down the track to your destination.

Do you have your priorities lined up? Do you know which order they are in?