|
|
| Information |
|
|
Priorities
Last month's edition of Footprints and Monuments was about living your life going Mach3 with your hair on fire. Learning from the past, but passionately waiting for tomorrow to get here. The featured person, Richie, recently came to a goal setting seminar that I was leading. Last month you learned that Richie was setting twenty-year goals even though six weeks prior he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. It saddens me to have to write that Richie died just a few days ago. Vowing to not let his life, and death, be in vain this month's edition of F&M is about priorities. Possibly in a way you have never thought about priorities. I once heard a story (summarized here for the sake of time) about a teacher that held up a completely empty two-gallon jar in front of his class. He began to fill the jar with large rocks. When the jar was full to the top he asked his class if it was full. They all responded with a unified, "Yes!" He then told them that they were mistaken and pulled out a bucket of much smaller rocks and began to pour them in to the jar. He again asked them if the jar was full. The students being a little bit wiser didn't know how to answer. Some thought yes, others no, and some not sure. He then pulled out a final bucket full of sand and began to pour it in to the jar. He poured, and then he shook the jar good, and then poured some more until the jar was full to the brim. Finally he asked his students if the jar was full. Most responded affirmatively, "Yes!" He then told them they were right. The moral of this story is: large rocks must go in the jar first. The same is true of our priorities. Our "big rocks" must come first or they will never make onto our calendars, to-do lists, or prayer lists. The question is, "What should our big rocks be?" With many rocks to choose from, it is my opinion that there are four that need to go into the jars of our lives first. They are, listed in order, our faith, family, faithfulness, and fun. I understand that there are many more rocks to choose from. For instance, friends, finances, future, and frustrations are important - but we must keep our priorities in line if we are going to end our lives looking back saying, "Well done." Our faith needs to be our first big rock. It is God who saves us from eternal death, becomes our best friend during the lonely times of our lives, heals us when doctors give us no hope, and allows peace to rest over us when our lives become chaotic. Our family must fall in line second, not our careers. There has never been a person on his or her deathbed that wished that he had spent more time working and building his career. Most, if not all, wish that they had spent more time cultivating their family relationships. This was the wish of my friend Richie, something that he tried to do after he was diagnosed with the brain tumor that eventually took his life. The word faithfulness is not often used in our American culture. The definition of faithfulness here is: Being there (being faithful). Many parents make decision and choices that result in being too busy to "be there" when their child scores the winning touchdown or sings their first solo. Business people routinely make promises that they can't possibly keep, and marriage vows are broken everyday in our country. God does call us to be faithful, faithful to Him and to others. Fun is the last big rock in our jars. It is my opinion that many live their lives in a ho-hum routine; working, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, and doing it all over again the next day. I challenge you to spice up your life a bit by adding times to just have fun to your schedule. Do something that you don't ordinarily get to do. For instance, after the family has retired for the evening, grab a good book and head for a hot, steamy bath (guys this works great for us too). The little things (small rocks and sand) in our lives are important too. Our friendships make life much more rewarding. When you can help that new widow get from today to tomorrow without shedding a tear you know you have been a friend. Our finances are also important. God tells us in His Word to provide for our family and our future. He also tells us to be content with what we have. If we focus more on what God wants for our lives and not what we want then our future will turn out just right. The last little rock or sand in our jar are our frustrations, these are the small things that seem to keep us from focusing on the more important things. There are times when we must "sweat the small stuff," but we must keep our priorities in perspective. I hope that you will take a close look at your life's jar and the rocks that go in first. And, like last month, I challenge you to live like you are going to die tomorrow, while at the same time like you are going to live forever. Footprints and Monuments is a free monthly leadership and motivational e-newsletter. No names receiving this e-newsletter are sold or distributed to any other source. You are encouraged to forward this monthly article to anyone in your address book. To un-subscribe please reply back with "Un-subscribe" in the subject field. About The Author JL Earlywine - www.jeffearlywine.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Myanmar's Suu Kyi to get family letters, news mags (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to wring small concessions from the ruling generals in the form of letters from her family and some international news magazines, her lawyer said on Friday. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (CBS News) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel 's current news flow, was picked up by a Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. After a lot of buck ... JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune) The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (paidContent.org via Yahoo! Finance) A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel's current news flow, was picked up by a Google News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. JCDecaux in talks to buy News Corp. billboard unit (AP via Yahoo! Finance) In a deal that would create the world's largest outdoor advertising company, French conglomerate JCDecaux SA said Thursday that it is in talks to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. Phila. mayor to announce grim budget news (The Philadelphia Inquirer) The Nutter administration is expected to announce grim budget news today, which is all but certain to lead to significant spending cuts - perhaps as high as 10 percent - in some city departments, according to three sources familiar with the budget. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. Site: news - Google News Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals - CNET News
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for goal setting GIRLS? SOCCER: Giants? goal? School record 15 (Marion Chronicle-Tribune) ANDERSON ? Marion won its first girls? soccer match Wednes-day in record-setting style. The Giants set a single-game scoring record and completely dominated host Anderson Highland, 15-0. Tamara Barrett, Jackie Roorbach and Alex Lester each had three-goal hat tricks for the Giants. Soft-spoken Syd'Quan not shy in setting big goals for Cal and himself at cornerback (Contra Costa Times) Thompson is tied for the NCAA lead in interceptions with three after two games, and three picks is his goal for each game, including Saturday at Maryland. A's setting sights on second place (Oakland A's) A's setting sights on second place Archdiocese sets fundraising record (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) The St. Louis Archdiocese said local Catholics contributed more than $13 million to its annual fundraising effort, surpassing its goal by more than $1 million and setting a record for the 59-year-old campaign. United Way sets goal at $935,000 (Great Falls Tribune) United Way of Cascade County kicked off its annual fundraising drive Tuesday, setting a goal of $935,000. United Way launches campaign for $2.2 million (The Hendersonville Times-News) The United Way of Henderson County volunteers, staff and community officials kicked off the 2008 fund raising campaign at 7:30 a.m. today at the Historic Courthouse, setting a goal of $2.2 million to meet needs of the community in health care, social services and other areas. RI residents oppose mass housing (Quad-City Times) Rock Island?s Housing Authority, or RIHA, wrapped up hours of goal setting for its next fiscal year Thursday night. But controversy is building about one of the agency?s proposals. Sallie Mae to turn on $10B private tap (Baltimore Business Journal) Sallie Mae is rushing into a market many are deserting by setting a goal of making $10 billion worth of student loans that are not backed by the federal government. (SLM) On the agenda (The Fort Collins Coloradoan) September Symposium 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St. Attend these free sessions on a wide variety of topics ranging from avoiding burnout, performance appraisals, conflict resolution, small business leadership, goal setting, marketing and more. Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.larimerworkforce.org Going for the goal (Bangkok Post - Thailand's English news) Goals are one of the most important elements of success at any level and in any field. Having clear goals helps us know exactly what we want to accomplish in what time frame. Goals can also inspire us and get us excited and motivated. Site: goal setting - Google News A strategic plan for goal setting - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What Words Will They Chisel Into Your Tombstone? One day you will inevitably die. A morbid statement, I know, but one that is true. Great Things Materialize Once We Start to Visualize Watching the Olympics last week really amazed me. The feats of strength were fantastic, and the drama of the events themselves was captivating. Are You Working Towards Success? To some people it means driving a flash car and flashing wadsof cash around to show they are doing well.To others it is spending time with their family, havingachieved happiness in their life. Goalsetting: Must We? All goals take time to accomplish. But most people are impatient. Achieving Goals: The Remaining 90% - Sheer Persistence Achieving goals requires persistence. Here's the proof: In 1915 Ty Cobb set up an amazing baseball record of stealing 96 bases. Time for a Change As 2005 approaches, many of us are thinking about change. Many of us are setting goals, and making promises to ourselves and to those we love. The Psychology Of Success Everybody has a dream. A fantasy, if you like. Goal Setting and Goal Getting: Go Use This Stuff! Q. I have always had such trouble with doing this goals thing. Six Keys to build vision (overview and point one) Have you ever considered why some things succeed and others fail? Well the answer is in those few words. "What is success, and what is failure?"To one, success is money, prestige, fame and more resources. Intrapersonal Communication What is intrapersonal communication?It is communicating with yourself.Most people and courses bypass this very important and crucial step in being able to communicate. Are Your Goals Exciting? This may sound like a strange question, but are you really excited about your goals? Of course, I'm making the assumption that you have already invested the time to think about what you want your life to be like and identified some of your goals in several areas. If not, please do this immediately. Set Goals In Life It is important to set goals in life. To accomplish those goals, youneed a healthy supply of energy. A Proper Mission Statement Can Drive Your Life Forward Most people measure us by our accomplishments -- what we've done.In my experience, most people compile their track record of accomplishments BY MISTAKE; that is, we don't have a plan, we simply react to opportunities as they arise. The Power of Goals - Gordon the Tank Engine Lately I have been studying mindset and goals, and wanted to share a Success story in our family.Our 3 year old Quinn is potty training, and has had a huge goal to get "Gordon the tank engine". Successful Goal Setting and Achievement The first step to success, of course, is to set a goal. You can't get anywhere if you're not heading in that direction. Goal Setting: 5 Simple Steps One of the things that frustrated me while in school was that most of the psychology books specialized in complicating things. It's the same with many self-help books as well. Simple Ways to Super-Charge Your Goals and Make Them Work! Goals. Most people have a love-hate relationship with goals. The Illusion of a Final Goal ".. Driving To Your Goals Every time you get in your car to go anywhere, you are working on achieving a goal. There is somewhere you want to be, so you take action to get there. Celebrate Achieving Smaller Goals Along The Way I wanted to learn to swim. So I set my goals, I got down to it, worked hard and struggled to overcome all obstacles.
|
| Home | Site Map | Resource Links |
