We all need to line up our priorities with our time, our resources and everything else in our life. We always intend to do this. We always intend to sit down and make a list of our values and write out our priorities. You still don’t have a list of values. Why? You’re too busy. If you’re too busy to think through your life, you’re too busy. You need to take some time.
The problem is, this doesn’t happen until a crisis hits. It usually takes a crisis to get us to start thinking about the rest of our life. A bankruptcy, a divorce, a major illness, COVID, a pandemic, an election, the death of a loved one, then you start thinking: “Life is brief. Life is short. I better start trying to make the most of it.” Do not wait for the crisis.
Nothing happens until you schedule it. Nothing. You may say spending time with God is important. You may say spending time with your kids is important. You may say quality time with your spouse is important. You may say exercise or anything else is important, but if you don’t schedule it, it’s not really important. Scheduling is where the water hits the wheel, the rubber hits the road. Nothing happens until you put it on your calendar. Nothing happens until you put it in your date book.
Antidote #1 is to line up your priorities. Antidote #2 is also really important:
ANTIDOTE #2: LIGHTEN UP YOUR ATTITUDE
Relax, let go, lighten up. Why? Because a lot of the stress in your life is self-imposed. It is the result of your attitude.