Setting Priorities

31. Jul, 2011 0 Comments

Everyday we are faced with setting priorities. We will either manage and choose our priorities or they will control us. When priorities control us, we live life by the moment reacting to whatever is going wrong in that moment. On the flip side, managing our priorities intentionally place energy into what is most important instead of what seems to be most urgent.

Lately I have been setting priorities based on the value of some key relationships in my life. The priorities center around my relationship with my wife, my kids, and my neighbors. It has been nearly a year since I have gone two weeks without spending time writing and posting to my blog but I have given myself permission to let it take a back seat for a few weeks while I invest in some important relationships.

Here is how I have been investing in these relationships:

1. Built a floor to ceiling built-in 10 foot bookcase for my wife. Karen has been wanting a bookcase built for several months and this summer offered the perfect time to provide a surprise. While she was visiting her mom and friends back in Springfield, Missouri, I went to work designing and building her bookshelves. Here is how the project turned out…

2. Remodeling my daughters room. Maddie is a sophomore in High School and it was time to take her room to the next level. I can’t wait to show you what we did. Since my daughter is a web savvy teen and could easily get a hint to the surprise that is coming next weekend, I will have to wait to share the pictures. Our design pallet includes gold, grey, silk, venetian plaster and a custom painting by her mom. Maddie knows we are redoing her room but she wants to be surprised when she see’s it for the first time. Pictures to come in a future post.

3. Create a neighborhood website. I had the opportunity to take on the creation of a neighborhood site and it was a lot of fun. You can check out how it turned out by going to HerffRanch.com. There is a members only area for neighbors to be able to connect and share information. I used WishList Member to manage the membership area and it integrated into the Word Press site beautifully! I look forward to sharing how I created the site in a future post.

4. Enjoying time with the family. This past weekend the kids and I went ice skating together. It was fun to enjoy a place cool with temperatures above 100. There were plenty of smiles and falls but all-in-all we have a great time skimming across the ice.

So that is what I have been doing the past two weeks. It has been a full two weeks with several significant accomplishments that would not have been completed if I had allowed priorities to control my time. Seeing the smile on Karen’s face and hearing how the neighbors like the new site had been well worth the effort. I am looking forward to seeing Maddie’s face when she see’s her room for the first time!