PRIORITIES

I have entitled this reflection “Priorities” not New Year’s Resolutions. Trying to think what the entire year is going to be is daunting, particularly given what we have lived through in 2020. I think it is better to have daily resolves in order to “chunk it down” and make it more manageable. How many of us make resolutions to exercise more, eat more healthy and eat less, be kinder, work for peace (just to name a few)? And how many of us actually achieve these goal. Less than 50% of people actually achieve their new year’s resolutions. None of us is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. That is the way I approach so called New Year’s Resolutions—I can always be better this year than I was last.

We set priorities all the time even though we may not be aware of it. The priority in the morning is getting out of bed, taking a shower, eating breakfast, and getting to work. For some there may be a priority of getting the kids to school or settled into an at home program. I suspect that many of us do these things in a certain order. How do any of our activities feed our soul? Even the mundane daily tasks can be a spiritual practice. It is important to set priorities, otherwise we follow the path of least resistance, and don’t get very much done.

Brian Tracy wrote a book entitled, Eat That Frog! This is the idea that you tackle the biggest,
hardest, and least appealing task first thing every day. Then you can move through the rest of the day knowing that the worst has already passed. When you have a fat old frog on your plate,
you have really got to knuckle down. When you have to eat a frog, don’t spend too much time
looking at it! It’s best to get it over with. If you spend too much time planning your attack, or
psyching yourself up, much time is wasted.

A second suggestion is “move big rocks.” This is using the wisdom of a pickle jar. Take a pickle jar and fill it up with sand. Now try to put a handful of rocks in it. There is no room. It is best to put the big rocks in first, then the small pebbles, and finally handfuls of sand. If we spend our time trying to do all of the small busy tasks, the big rocks or tasks never get done.

A third approach is to use Stephen Covey’s quadrant system as he wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. This is sorting out things according to the following priorities: 1) Important and Urgent; 2) Important but not Urgent; 3) Not important but urgent; 4) Not Important and Not Urgent. By working on things that are important, there is less chance that they become urgent. In setting the priorities of the daily tasks, it is important to have spiritual disciplines that nourish our souls. As you set your priorities for the day or for 2021, factor in time for meditation or prayer, service to others (besides your work), study, fun, and celebration of daily joys.

So, as you think of your daily priorities, eat a frog and move big rocks.

A MORNING RESOLVE for 2021
(from a calendar by Bishop John H. Vincent)

I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life,
repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety,
discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating
cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence;
exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving,
carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service,
fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer,
work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe
the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.

And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope
of success attempt it, I look to you, God through Jesus Christ, and
ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

– Mary Anne Totten, Chaplain Intern